I will summon a dragon!
by Snipern0sniping
Summary: Louise's mouth writes a check that she isn't sure she can carry out, but if she can it would be the most important event to happen in Tristan. Dragon Dovahkiin and elf problems ahead. Any advice would be a great help, I am watching and playing both stories as I write this so please help by giving me all the lore you guys can while I 'Study' them.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello and welcome to my second story ever written.**

 **Please help me improve by PMing me with any problems you see and any events you think I have miss represented.**

 **Thank you**

 **Familiar of Zero is owned by someone**

 **Skyrim is owned by someone else**

 **Neither of them are me.**

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The Tristian Academy of Magic was one of the largest attractions in the entire country of Tristian. Within its hallowed grounds mages from all countries came to teach the students and to pursue their own research. The students came from just as many countries and because of this there were bound to be some that were bitter and angry with each other. The best example of this was with the Valliere and Zerbst students, they were neighbors across the Tristian-Germania border and had a feud going back several generations. Today the newest generation had taken this feud and let it taint all of their interactions with each other. Just last night after class the Zerbst heir Kirche continuing this tradition by taunting The youngest of the Vallieres, Louise.

"So, what's the story?" Louise started as her enemy's voice mocked her leaving the headmasters office. The day had been particularly hard on Louise because she had once again been asked to perform a spell in front of the class. As expected she had caused an explosion in front of everyone and had made a fool of herself, again. This had happened several times over the last year and she just couldn't take it anymore.

No, her pride wouldn't allow her to give up, so in the face of the Zerbst words she maintained a cool attitude. "Another trip to the detention room? or are they finally expelling you?" Zerbst words were just that, words she could survive them.

"They decided not to punish me," she evenly retorted to Kirche and her entourage, Momorency a blond girl with extremely large curls in her hair, and Tabitha a quiet blue haired girl with her eyes firmly fixed in a book and her staff always in hand. "What?!" the two loud girls gasped at her words.

"Why not?" Louise moved down the stairs towards the way out.

"they said that it was particularly the teachers fault of making me do it even after all the students in the class tried to stop her," All the students, in the entire class had done their best to stop the teacher, that hurt.

realizing that her admitting that having everyone in the class try to stop you from casting could be a point for team Zerbst both girls started laughing uproariously. "I'm just having a bad day is all," Louise said trying and beginning to fail at preventing the hurt she was feeling show.

"Well you are always having a bad day," Momorency said snidely, "you can't even get a real code name, Louise the ZERO."

That finally got a rise from the girl, all of her hurt turned to anger as she yelled at them to be quiet. knowing that it would only take a little more pushing to get her truly angry Kirche reminded her of the one thing that will get her the reaction she wanted. "Tomorrow should be fun. I can't wait to see what kind of familiar you manage summon."

Louise humphed and turned to face her tormentors on the stairs, "oh yea? I'm competent in one spell, the summoning spell, summon servant!" She yelled at them her display of confidence probably the biggest lie ever told in the academy. The two tormentors were taken aback by her unexpected reaction, "Just you watch," Louise capitalized on their silence, "I will summon a familiar that is divine and as powerful as a dragon! It will be more powerful than anything you can summon up and then we will see whose laughing!" With that tirade Louise continued her way down the stairs and back to her rooms leaving the tormentors flabbergasted.

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Reaching her own room Louise got ready for bed, she washed, brushed her hair, teeth, and got her sleeping gown out of dresser. Pulling it over her head she walked over to her bed and promptly fell on her face. Her false confidence left her with a sigh, 'I'm competent in one spell, the summoning spell summon servant!' her own words haunted her.

Her mother was the former commander of the manticore knights, one of the most powerful women in the kingdom, often described as 'powerful' and 'brutal' however she also is known for her rule of steel, basically a personal standard that proclaimed that any weakness will not be tolerated. So far Louise had only been a disappointment, she was weak and Louise knew it. If she failed, her summoning then the most likely thing to happen to her was a swift marriage to remove her from her family without staining their prestige.

"why did I have to say that I would summon something as powerful as a dragon?" she mumbled into her pillow. The standard had been placed ridiculously high and it had been her mouth that had placed it there.

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A dragon, that is what Louise had claimed as what she was going to summon as her familiar. Tabitha was quietly reading her book when she felt her friend move. Kirche smirked to herself and petted behind the spiked ridge on Flames neck. The Large chested, tanned skinned, redhead was enjoying herself immensely since she had gotten the most wonderful creature in all of existence.

If anyone was going to get a familiar better than her beautiful fire lizard Flame, then it would be Tabitha. Kirche had been best friends with her since she had grabbed a hold of her cloak on the first day last year, now they were inseparable.

Professor Jean Colbert was in charge of this year's familiar summoning ritual. The other teachers in his opinion were rather cowardly, they had started to draw lots to determine who was going to do it. Confused as to why they were doing so when most of the time the right to be there was considered to be an honor he had asked them point blank why they didn't want to be there. They had all admitted that they were frightened by what the youngest daughter of the Valliere family would do when she cast the spell.

A rather angry Professor Colbert had then decided to be the one to attend, overriding the terrified chatter of the other teachers especially Chevreuse the Red Earth, she had the class the day before and had asked Louise to transmute some rocks to any metal she wanted. Chevreuse had finally gotten out of the medical wing just in time for the drawing and still had the bandages from the class.

Louise was sure that she would wet herself. She had gravitated towards the back of the class as more and more people had gone up to summon her familiar. She kept her eyes fixed on the ground by her toes and prayed to Brimir that she would be forgotten, that she wouldn't be forced to go up in front of everyone and prove once again that she was a failed mage, a Zero. As more people went up and less were left without some creature Louise could feel her terror rising.

The event had progressed smoothly, every student that had come up had summoned an animal that seemed to represent themselves, of course the animal did represent a person's affinity with an element but the animals seemed to show more than that for some people; a frog perfectly suited Momorency, and an owl fit just well with Malicorne. Then there were students that even he didn't understand, what did a large mole have to do with Guiches personality? It certainly showed his earth affinity but little else about him. Finally, there were the two that really impressed him, Kirche and Tabitha, their familiars showed their affinities and maybe a bit of their personality, but the main things that they showed was the power that both of them had, they would make very powerful mages when they graduated.

"Alright, I believe that everyone has performed the summon familiar ritual," Professor Colbert said looking around at all the students holding or standing by their new familiars. Kirche looked around in surprise, did she miss Louise's attempt?

She couldn't have because there would have been a large explosion. Spotting the flat chested pink haired girl near the back of the group Kirche grinned as she saw the look of relief on her face and the lack of any animal nearby, apparently she was hoping to be forgotten in the crowd.

That wouldn't do, "Oh teacher, Louise hasn't summoned her familiar," Kirche called out in a sing-song voice and was rewarded by the look of fear and anger on Louise's face a glare prepped and fired at the jiggly monster but unfortunately it sadly has no effect.

"Thank you miss, Zerbst," Colbert acknowledged kirches help but was a little confused as to why Louise hadn't proclaimed herself. Kirche smiled back at Louise, relishing her teasing not caring that it could be considered cruel. Kirche's noise was confusing Sylphid to no end. "Croon?" Sylphid, her wind dragon familiar, crooned at Tabitha.

"Teasing, bad at it," Tabitha said without looking up as Louise started to make her way to the summoning zone. Sylphid was left confused, Older sisters friend was teasing Louise but was hurting her by doing so? She didn't make sense, and she hoped that Louise wasn't hurt too bad.

Everyone in the group stepped away from Louise as if she was some infectious disease at the idea that she would be trying to use magic. "I think that I hear my mother calling me…" one person started lamely and as silenced by a glare from the Zero.

Squaring her shoulders Louise strode through the crowd until she was at the summoning area. Everyone got ready to run, Louise pulled out her wand and opened her mouth. Tabitha returned to her book and murmured a spell under her breath, Kirche moved a little closer knowing that she would have woven that spell to save them from the Zeros reaction.

Watching the class part in front of her and hearing the worried whisperings was reason enough for Professor Colbert to see their fear. The poor girl seemed to shrink in on herself before stiffening and marching towards the front of the class. As she marched through the crowd of fellow students, trying to not let their words hurt her.

"Not the Zero, please anyone but her,"

"Why did we have to be in the same class as her?"

"I think I hear my mother calling me," a particularly loud one said.

While Colbert was aware of her diminished talent at practical usage of magic he also knew that she had been the best at her class work, she was leading the class in grades until it came to actually performing magic itself, at that point she had sunk rather fast to the lower end of the class and had stayed there since.

Hoping that this would be the day that she proved herself, Colbert walked up to her, placed his hand on her shoulder, and softly said, "I know that you can do this, you can use just as powerful magic as anyone else." Seeing her smile, a little he broke off contact and returned to the crowd.

Taking a deep breath Louise started her chant, "My servant that exists somewhere in this vast universe," 'Please' Louise whispered in her head "my divine, beautiful, wise, powerful servant, heed my call," 'let me summon something, anything. please let it be something that can get Kirche to shut up. Please let me summon something that will impress my mother. Please bring me something that will show how strong I am!' "I wish from the very bottom of my heart and add to my guidance and appear!"

As the last syllable left her mouth Louise was almost thrown backwards as a burst of hot smoke exploded from where she had pointed her wand.

'NO, NO, No nonononononono,' Louise moaned in her head as she desperately scanned the smoke for something that could be her familiar.

Colbert tensed as she finished and pointed into the casting area. The loud boom and subsequent burst of smoke was a surprise to him, however he was largely unaffected thanks to his years as a captain in the queen's army. As nothing seemed to be moving in the smoke Colbert felt afraid that Louise had failed again, glancing towards the girl he noticed that her cloths were a mess, her cloak was hanging to the side, and her eyes were fixed dead ahead. She was trembling a little and was almost on the verge of tears.

The words were… different Kirche thought to herself as she listened to the Zero chant, but as she pointed with her wand a burst of expected smoke and unexpected heat rushed across the field from where she had pointed. For a second or two everyone waited, but as the smoke began to clear people started to laugh. She was a failure, just as they had said.

Sylphid had become tense with the explosion and was trembling slightly. "What?" Tabitha's question brought Sylphid's head around to look her in the eyes. 'I smell her! I'm frightened!' the panicked voice in her head startled Tabitha, she knew that Sylphid could communicate like this but what startled her was how scared Sylphid sounded and admitted.

"Who?" She asked hoping for more information on this new terror. Sylphid cocked her head to the side and sounded confused, 'I don't know, I'm scared and I don't know why.'

That was surprising. Some laughed with relief that they weren't going to get hurt in the Zero's attempt but most laughed that she had failed again.

Kirche chuckled but felt bad for Louise, standing there with her skirt messed up by the blast, dirt smeared on her cheek, staring at the spot where her familiar should have appeared. The area was still covered in smoke but it was doubtful that anything had come from the attempt.

Louise ignored them all and focused on the cloud in front of her, she focused on it to the exclusion of all else, she didn't pay any attention to the crowd or the new drafts she felt that let her know that her cloths were probably damaged, she just stared at the smoke hoping her eyes would be able to pierce the screen and see her familiar.

Jean felt his heart ache for his student, she was trying so hard and always seemed to get the raw end of the deal when she tried to use magic. Walking up to comfort her Jean reached out his arm trying to console his student as he frantically tried to think of something to say to her. Just as her hope was being strangled, a high pitched, (feminine?) yet loud voice destroyed the laughter by roaring out of the smoke.

" **Kolo Zu'u, druv los tinvaak dovahzul?"**

Louise worried that someone might have wandered into the casting zone because no animal could have spoken and he or she might have frightened off her familiar. As she was about to charge in and find her familiar herself the voice spoke again.

" **Tolakniir daar, Lok Vah Koor!"** A sonic boom seemed to accompany the second half of the phrase and the clouds of smoke seemed to part with extra haste as at their utterance.

Before her eyes, which were growing wider and wider as they parted, a dragon was being revealed, head and neck were armored in light gray-blue scales, horns were segmented and sweeps back to the neck, with a second smaller pair next to them, small spikes started just past the horns and grew larger until they could be mistaken for daggers. The underside of the neck was white and the scales seemed larger and segmented, the edge of every scale seemed to be outlined in white. More smoke moved and the chest and upper arms were revealed, Louise was surprised because she had never heard of a dragon that had wings for an upper body.

Glancing back, she confirmed that Spyndrid had a pair of front legs as well as back and wings as well on top of it all. This dragon was biped and had wings, the wings were large graceful bat like things with three finger like structures coming from a 'palm' area at the peak of the wing and a clawed 'thumb' as well, a fourth 'finger' was grown out of the 'elbow' of the wing. The rest of the smoke had vanished as Louise gazed in complete awe of the reptile. The legs had at least four bones that went down, back, and forward before ending in a foot with power talons on each of its three toes, giving the dragon a crouched look even when it stood straight. Finally, the tail added almost another body length to the beasts already impressive length. Altogether it made every other reptile seen so far today look soft, the scales seemed to have a sharp edge to each of them instead of flowing together like Kirche's, or Tabitha's familiars. The dragon seemed to be examining itself just as much as the rest of the class.

" **Fos ko oblivion?"**

Only after an entire minuet passed did anyone move, to everyone's surprise it was the Zero who did it by turning to Kirche and shouting, "I TOLD YOU I WOULD SUMMON A DRAGON!"

Professor Colbert was rightfully awe struck by the dragon that had been summoned just twenty feet from him, but he was more concerned as to who had spoken in such a powerful voice, the only people he had heard with a voice like that were the royal announcers and they needed a hall to make their voice reverberated and become as powerful.

'where was the speaker?' he wondered to himself as the dragon lowered its body until it was face to face with the two mages

" **Fos los hi sahgaat? fos tinvok los tol?"** Jean and Louise both took a step backwards, the dragon was talking, it was the powerful voice that they had heard and now it was speaking to them." **Fos ko oblivion koros wah zey?"**

Everyone in the crowd was once again awe struck. Kirche was Jealous, JEALIOUS! of the Zero. Tabitha took one look at the dragon and cataloged everything she could see from her perspective, noticing that whatever type of dragon it was it was at least twice the size of Syphid and didn't seem to have any elemental affinity that she could see.

" **Fos ko oblivion koros wah zey? Fos ko oblivion koros wah zey? Fos ko oblivion koros wah zey?"** The dragon shook it head repeating the phrase over and over.

Louise looked to her professor for guidance, a talking animal was rare, but not unheard of. However, those animals usually gained the ability to speak only after they were bonded with a mage, they would get a boost of intelligence and then be able to speak, but a naturally speaking beast was completely unheard of in any lands she had heard of.

"Hello, I am Professor Jean Colbert of the Tristan Academy of Magic, who are you and what are you, we have never seen anything quite like your kind before," Jean repeated the same phrase over again in Germainian and again in every language he knew, hoping for a response.

The dragon's head snapped around to fix an eye on the professor, " **Zu'u hon hi diist tiid, Zu'u nunon vis mindok druv Zu'u tinvaak dovahzul,"** came the unintelligible response. Jean looked down to the just as confused Louise and back to the dragon,

"if you can understand me nod your head." Much to everyone's surprise they got a nod from the dragon. "So you can understand us, but you can't speak the language can you?" a nod to the first part and a shake to the second.

Jean looked down to the frightened girl beside him. "I think that we can continue to the bonding ritual now, Louise," he said now that the mystery of the voice had been cleared up. She nodded and lifted her wand to begin.

" **Wo, wo saag Zu'u fund vo some little joor cast spells on me and what do you mean by 'bonding'?"** Everyone blinked, that last part was in Tristainian. " **Oh so now my voice returns,"** the dragon… grumbled? sounding like a light avalanche.

"You can speak? I thought you said that you couldn't," the professor said surprise at the new development showing on his face.

" **I can speak this language, but before I was… confused and spoke in native Dovahzul,"** the dragon answered.

"Dovahzul, I haven't heard of that language," Jean murmured thinking of all the places where he had learned the language of.

" **Enough of this, what did you mean by bonding, and why did the little one immediately point her wand at me?"**

Louise bristled at the 'little' comment and took a step forwards to get everyone's attention, "the bonding ritual is where the mage who has summoned a new familiar casts a spell to bind the two of them together, the animal summoned becomes the mages servant. Because I summoned you I get to bind you to me."

The dragon growled and drew itself up by stretching its wings down and glared down on the little girl, who was beginning to regret angering the dragon. " **So you kidnap me from my home and that gives you the right to make me your slave? I get no say in whether or not I get bound to you at all, is that right?"**

Colbert stepped in as Louise faltered and took several steps back. "It is how the ritual has been performed for hundreds of years," he said drawing the dragon's ire away from the student. "We have never really summoned anything intelligent before, there have been no records of such an event happening in all of our lore." The dragon walked around them, rather awkwardly they might add, as if she had been sitting or lying around for a long time and her legs had fallen asleep.

" **I refuse to become anyone's slave, I simply want to return to the life I lived before this all occurred,"** the dragon stated.

Louise felt a flash of terror, "No! Please don't leave, I need something to prove that I'm not a failure of a mage!" She covered her mouth and seemed to shrink in on herself as everyone's gaze shifted to her. The dragon paused and looked over to her tiny form, something was griping at its heart, indecision tearing it on the inside.

"Please," Louise said in a broken voice not raising her head to look at the dragon, "I need to prove myself as a mage, every spell I cast explodes on me and this was my last chance to prove that I'm not the failure that everyone thinks I am I need something to show her that I'm not a weakness."

Silence reigned across the field and no one felt the need to disturb it. The dragon turned and looked at the child, taking this as a good sign Louise pressed her case. "I have failed to cast even the most basic of the spells I have been given, they always explode, they always cause a burst of smoke and destroy the item I tried to cast on or blow up the area I pointed in. M-mother was the commander of the manticore knights, I need to be as strong as she was if I am ever going to look her in the eye." Fear almost frozen Louise's voice but she continued in a whisper that her classmates couldn't hear, "I need something to prove that I am a successful mage, if I don't have anything to prove it then I will be married off to prevent shame from staining my family honor. I..." Her tears started spilling down her face and her voice broke down.

" **Faas Ru Maar!"**

A wave of pale smoke leaves the dragon's mouth immediately impacting Louise and traveling back to the crowd, many of whom cry out and fall backwards, gripped by some unknown terror. The dragon moves in close on the heels of the attack, in her face a second after it passed. Louise feels like she is facing her mother's glare, how she knows it will feel if she goes home without a familiar to please her. The dragon moves back to the wall and looks over it, gazing at the sun.

" **..."**

"..."

Finally, a crunch broke the silence as the dragon seemed to 'punch' the ground and returned to staring at the mage. " **I will not be a slave, I will not be at your beck and call, I won't do just anything you ask, there will need to be a good reason to listen to obey if you give an order, but if you can meet all of these requirements then I will accept this 'bonding',"** the dragon laid out the terms looking the child in the eye. Hope was bursting out of the Child's frame like a cloth balloon tied to the end of a compressed air canister.

"Does that mean?" She couldn't finish her sentence, fearing that if she did the dragon would change its mind.

" **I agree to become your familiar if you don't treat me like garbage, if you do I will kill you myself,"** the dragon stated and grinned at the frightened look that passed her face. Louise almost fell to her knees, whatever the smoke had done, she had somehow passed a test the dragon had placed.

" **Well, are you going to cast the spell?"**

"Oh, right," Louise says quickly and raises her wand, pointing at the dragon's head "My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. Pentagon of the five elemental powers; bless this humble being, and make her my familiar," with that she leaned forwards and kissed the dragon on the snout. Her lips landed on the hard scales and after a second the dragon pulled back shaking its head as it felt a pinching sort of pain on its left wing. Shaking the affected area and causing a minor windstorm to form, the dragon looked at the wing noticing a glowing set of runes on the back of the 'palm' area.

"May I see your runes?" the professor's voice draws the dragon's attention back to the people surrounding them. As the dragon nods Jean walks up to wing that lowers itself for examination. "Hum, I haven't seen anything like this type of rune before, then again this is a unique situation so that might have something to do with that," the professor murmurs half to himself.

"Well," Louise started, "I guess that now we can get you something to eat, or find a place to… ah, roost? dragon."

" **Dovahkiin,"** the dragon said, at her confused look the dragon elaborated, " **The other dragons call me Dovahkiin."**

Louise nodded and gestured to the Academy, "very well, Dovahkiin, would you like to find a place to roost or go hunting first?" looking around the dragon, Dovahkiin snorted,

" **I would like to explore the surrounding area, get the lay of the land."** Louise nodded and stepped back allowing Dovahkiin to sweep her wings up and down, leaping into the air she awkwardly took to the air and started flying ever growing larger circles in the air.

Kirche leaned down and whispered in Tabitha's ear, "did we just get out done, by the Zero?" Tabitha nodded. Kirche sighed and groaned, "I was hoping that I had imagined that part."

"Need more information," Tabitha said quickly gaining Kirche's attention, "What do you mean, she beat us that's all we need to know."

Tabitha shook her head and spoke, "type." Kirche frowned,

"type? oh what type of dragon, and hence what affinity, I get it." Tabitha nodded.

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 **Any problems so far?**

 **Translations are found online but FF won't let me give you the address,**

 **but they are basically what you'd expect, "where am I? Who are you," and the like.**

 **Feel free to look them up and enjoy my little trolling.**


	2. Chapter 2

**HI**

 **Wow, someone actually reads me!**

 **you guys have actually Favorited and Followed this story more than my other one.**

 **Now I am a little afraid that I will disappoint you all**

 **Pleas PM me with any information on Familiar of zero, I know Skyrim a little better but I still know jack about FOZ, mostly I want to know about the church of the founder.**

 **The church is very important to the people in FOZ and I need to understand how in order to write them effectively.**

 **oops**

 **Familiar of Zero is owned by someone**

 **Skyrim is owned by a company, I think.**

 **I am not that someone and I am to skinny to be a company.**

* * *

 **Finally to people who helped:**

 **Jackalope89, how well do you think I have fallowed your advice on separating people speaking?**

 **Guest, thanks for the brush up on oblivion.**

 **PEJP Bengtzone V2, thanks for letting me know about Baka-Tsuki**

 **Everyone else, thanks for the congats and the MOREMOREMOREs, I would like a little more constructive criticism but these are still great to get.**

* * *

Dovahkiin reached a good cruising height where she could stay up in the air with little to no effort. She needed this so that she could focus on her inner turmoil. Gazing down on the pentagon shaped academy, she thought on just who was to blame for how she had ended up here.

She had been traveling from High Hrothgar to Solitude when she had come across a shrine to Sheogorath. Knowing full well how insane the Daedric prince of madness could be, she had stayed as far away as she could get while staying on the road.

"OH, HOW RUDE! The lady scorns the CHEESE!" Knowing it was too late to escape the Prince's notice, she turned and found the shrine replaced with a large, heavily built table covered in many different sets of cutlery and many wheels of cheese. Sitting at the largest chair was a well-dressed old man with slicked back white hair and a mix-matched red and blue doublet with a familiar staff being passed back and forth between his hands.

"Hello, Sheogorath," Dovahkiin greeted respectfully.

"DOV, good to see you my lad lass! May I vay-cray in your head soon?" Sheogorath hadn't changed much.

"My lord, I do not think I would survive your touch," she replied. While she was prideful, Dovahkiin didn't mind bowing her head to Sheogorath. She did not bow to anyone else, but when dealing with Daera she tended to err on the side of caution, which seemed to ease her life.

"So, chitchat done! I have a great opportunity to ensure you don't get flayed alive with fish sticks," Sheogorath announced with a grin as if he had solved all the problems in the world.

Dovahkiin blinked, "Flayed alive with what?"

"FISH STICKS, you know, what that mad doctor man eats with custard." Talking with Sheogorath was always peculiar.

Dovahkiin shook her head, "Back on topic, am I going to be flayed alive? How soon?" Dovahkiin was starting to get worried. 'Was Sheogorath talking about an ambush? Or just being himself?'

Sheogorath blinked, "Flayed? More like stabbed! Then you can visit THE ISLES! They're a wonderful place to be, except when they are horrible. Then they are HORRIBLY WONDERFUL! Good for a visit! Or an eternity."

"Is there anyone who is attempting to hurt me now?" Dovahkiin asked the madman.

"Yes, don't worry ladyman. I have a plan to save you!" Sheogorath answered with another grin, raising the staff in his hand.

"What, no! No thank you, I can handle this. I don't need the Wabbajack!" Dovahkiin said quickly, fear evident as the staff started to glow with a pale green light.

"WABBAJACK!" Sheogorath exclaimed, pointing at the Dragonborn. There was a poof of green light and a circle of glowing luminescence floated where the Dragonborn had stood. "Safe, content, and as secure as a baseball in the crotch!" the Daedric prince proclaimed as he sat down to the table in front of him.

"What am I doing here? I Don't KNOW! Hey, author guy, send me back to the ISLES! My job is done, she's finished!" At his call, a ribbon of fog rose over the table, obscuring its contents.

"I told the almighty tallest that smoke machines are better than lasers, but noooo," called Sheogorath as he vanished, leaving the hill bare of anything else.

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Everything was moving, flashes of light and color flying past, too fast to fully comprehend. 'Stars, no cracks, was that a tree?' the Dragonborn thought to herself as she...flew? slid? She could feel herself moving, but couldn't really tell where she was moving to. Right, left, up, or down, none held any meaning in her travels. Wherever she was moving to, it would probably hurt upon arrival, hours of cliff jumping off of High Hrothgar told her that much.

This felt like an extremely fast fall. She was worried, 'What if I become ethereal and return to normal before I land wherever I end up?' She was truly scared of falling to death. She had climbed too many mountains and fallen off just as many to not be scared. The results of such falls had been littered around Skyrim's many mountains, a constant reminder of the danger such adventurers faced.

'Wait, doesn't Dragon Aspect strengthens my other shouts?' she wondered, remembering that whenever she was under the protection of the Aspect, her other shouts would gain potency and duration. Feeling like she was about to reach her final destination, Dovahkiin gathered her strength and Shouted, "Mul Qah Diiv! AAAAHHHHHHH!"

As soon as the Shout left her, she could feel that something was wrong. Instead of the comforting feeling of her Dragon Aspect settling over her like a layer of impossibly strong armor, she felt like she was burning from the inside out, like something was tearing its way through her body. Pain unlike anything she had felt before clawed at her chest, spreading out to her arms and then legs after a few seconds.

Just as suddenly as the unfamiliar agony started, it ended. As Dovahkiin swung her head around, she kept on trying to see where she was hurt, where the damage was located. Even though she couldn't feel the pain anymore, she knew that she had been hurt somewhere. She quickly encountered an issue with her self-diagnosis as her sight was filled with a brilliant light that blocked everything from view.

Dovahkiin suddenly felt the ground beneath her as if she had been standing there all along. There was no ground shaking landing or bone-rending crash. As the feeling of earth comforted her, a large explosion sounded around her, putting her on guard but not hurting her to any noticeable extent. The light that had been obscuring her vision faded to be replaced by a screen of smoke hiding the world from Dovahkiin's eyes.

The good thing was that she could feel the ground under her legs and the sickening feeling of moving without being able to see it had stopped. The bad thing soon made itself apparent as she began processing sensory input from her extremities. She could tell something was off immediately. After a quick spat of growling to herself, and finding that she was now naturally speaking Dovahzul, she had gotten bored of the white-gray-brown smoke and Shouted for a Clear Sky.

She had been expecting people, as she had heard them talking to each other while mocking someone named Louise. However, the largest surprise was that when the smoke was gone she looked down and saw that she was a dragon. On a scale from one to ten of strange things that happened to her, this was a solid eight, nothing was as bad as the black tentacle books.

She was the Dragonborn, she knew that she had the soul and blood of a dragon, but the simple fact that she was now a fully formed dragon was more than a little surprising. After a game of shifting language, she had come to the conclusion that the land where she was located was some kind of mage country and they were required to summon something to be their familiars.

In the end it wasn't Louise's fault that this had happened. Sheogorath had probably influenced or outright changed who the little pink-haired one was supposed to summon to get her summoned instead. That sounded like something he would do.

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The day was passing and she was still a dragon. Landing close to the wall of the Academy, Dovahkiin sat down and thought, 'Wabbajack, summoning ritual, and Dragon Aspect. Combine those together and you get transformed into a large lizard. No, that doesn't make sense, Wabbajack changes, Summoning ritual might have added power or something along those lines, Dragon Aspect gives it a shape, but something was missing from the mix of magic. What was the catalyst? There must be some precedent for such a large change, but what was it? What could she do to reverse it?'

As she went over the many different types of magic she had seen in her travels, the sun climbed down from its throne and abdicated in favor of the moon. Noticing that the sun was now just a sliver on the horizon, she decided to just try shouting Dragon Aspect again. Surely it wouldn't do much harm to her in this form.

Readying herself for the test, she lifted her head and Shouted to the sky, "Mul Qah Diiv!" As the Shout left her tongue, she felt pain lance through her chest and spread to the tip of her wings. Growling to keep from roaring, she raised her wing and slammed it in the ground as the pain spread from the tip of her tail to her snout. Finally, the discomfort ended and she opened her eyes.

Her body was just as she remembered it before her crazy meeting with Sheogorath that morning. She quickly checked herself over. Two arms, two legs, no tail, and no scales. One thing she wasn't expecting was that she was completely naked. Looking around, she found that everything she had with her when she had been sent away by Sheogorath was missing. Quickly looking around for anything to cover herself, she saw a nearby clothesline with a large black cloak strung up. It wasn't much, but it was better than her current attire, or lack thereof. Slipping it over her body, the garment covered from her neck line to just above her knees.

Looking towards the mage's hall, she could see people going into one door in particular. Bright light shone through the windows and rich smells came from just behind those doors. As Dovahkiin walked towards them, she felt anxious, a slight trembling in her arms confirmed her feelings.

Shaking her head, she pushed the door open just enough to poke her head in. For a moment she was blinded by the light that illuminated a large open space. Several tables were covered with cloth and a large meal was laid out on them. Every table was surrounded by students talking together, most showing off their new familiars and telling anyone who would listen all the interesting facts about their respective new pets.

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Montmorency was bored. Her boyfriend Guiche was staring, mesmerized by his giant mole's "Brilliant eyes" and "Soft fur". She was rather annoyed that he was giving so much attention to the large mammal instead of her. Jealous of a mole, that was a strange new low in their relationship. Sighing, she glanced around the hall hoping for something to grab her attention.

Just as she did so, a head poked its way through the doors. Montmorency immediately felt the jealousy she had for a large mole get over shadowed by this woman. She could only see her face, but the high cheekbones and beautiful eyes told of a mysterious beauty. If the rest of her was as soft -featured as her face alone, Montmorency knew that she would stand no chance of competing with this woman for the boys.

As the woman turned her head, her hair fell to just above her shoulders. The thick strands were a common brown and streaked with several lighter shades of blond that were woven into a braid across her scalp. The last noticeable feature was her ears, which were tapered to a point. Montmorency froze at the sight of her ears. her eyes widening and her body going still as a board. As captivated as he was by his beautiful Verdandi, Guiche was still aware enough to see his girlfriend's panicked expression.

"What is it, fair Montmorency?" he asked with an easy expression. "What has caused such a fair face as yours to-"

"ELF!" The cry tore its way out of Montmorency's throat as she pointed right at the door. Every person in the hall jumped and turned towards the door.

-[]-

Dovahkiin immediately got the impression that her Mer, specifically Bosmer, heritage was a major detracting factor. As several staff members reached for staffs and wands, she pulled back and closed the door. The tactic had worked for her several time with bandits as they were often very distractible. A solid door was all that was often needed for them to just forget you exis-

SLAM

"Eep!" She would forever deny that she ever made that sound.

Apparently these teachers were smarter than the bandits at Fort Hraggstad. The door crashed open and on the other side of the threshold were three of the faster teachers. One was raising his stick, or wand as these people called it, at her, a spell on his lips.

"Zun Haal Viik!" As the shout impacted them, their wands seemed to follow their own minds and leapt for freedom. The hall behind them was filled with students pulling back towards the far end, fighting to get away from the door. Shouts of panic were filling the air as people shoved and fought for the right to be the farthest away from the perceived danger.

Dovahkiin turned and ran from the fight, surprising many of the mages as they had never thought for an elf to willingly pull back from a defenseless human. It never occurred to them that most had never met an elf themselves and that no one knew what one would actually do in this situation.

As she ran for the walls, Dovahkiin considered her options for escape. Within seconds she was back in the open space before anyone could follow her. 'Escape, how to escape? Why did they react like that? Do they have someone like the Thalmor around here? How do I escape?' She turned these thoughts over in her head as she ducked into the first of the trees.

'Okay,' she thought as she passed the safety of the first line of trees and got deeper into the forest. 'Dragons are alright but put pointy ears on a person and they are terrified out of their minds.' She paused for a breath at a clearing. 'Dragons are safe, could I transform into one again?' Realizing that that could be the only way out, she attempted the Shout,

"Muk Qah Diiv!"

Pain, now a familiar sensation, clutched at her heart, burning its way along her veins to the ends of her fingers and toes. Wings replaced arms and scales replaced skin. The cloak she had been wearing snapped at the drawstring and fell off of her frame as her body grew. Seconds later, she stood as a dragon, sniffing the air.

It was rather odd that her first instinct was to smell the air, but when she did she could instantly tell that someone was approaching. More than one actually, two males, one old and the other younger but still an obvious teacher at the school.

"Laas Yah Nir." The Shout took effect, allowing her to see through the underbrush and trees themselves. To her eyes, two glows were visible, both of them shaped like people. Their auras, she had no better name for what this Shout showed her, were strange. She could see them but there were almost feelings attached to these colors. One was red and seemed to blaze like fire to her eyes, yet she could also see the incredible pain it carried. The other person had a slower, more deliberate aura and it reminded her of standing at the tip of High Hrothgar, the wind in her hair.

As the sight eventually faded from her eyes, the two men made their way into the clearing. One was the bald professor that had been at the summoning ritual while the other was an extremely old man. His hair was pure silver-gray and included a respectable beard and mustache. All three sources of hair blended into each other, making it look like there had been an unsuccessful attempt to strangle him by his own hair. The idea amused Dovahkiin to no end and she let out a growling bark of laughter.

"Colbert, is that dragon laughing?"

"Yes, Headmaster."

"What amuses you, dragon?" the old one asked.

"My name is Dovahkiin," she retorted, still snickering, "and yes, it looks like your hair wanted freedom from your head, so they schemed with your moustache and beard to strangle you."

The old man let out a laugh as well, "I threatened them with the scissors and they let me live. Now, my name is Osmond, and I am here because there was an elf seen at the castle. She was last seen running in this direction. Have you perhaps seen her?" This Osmond person was taking a talking dragon rather well. Dovahkiin shook her head, turning to look at bald professor Colbert.

"What has the elf done? Has it harmed your kind?"

Professor Colbert adjusted his glasses, "It is written in the Book of Brimir that elves are monsters and possess strange, unnatural magic. They are monsters that would kill us all eventually."

"Is it fair for these people to be persecuted because some old writer claimed they will become monsters?" Dovahkiin asked, genuinely curious.

"You don't understand, Brimir is the Founder, God himself. We pray to him and we received magic from him. His word is law." Jean explained, wondering why this odd dragon didn't seem to know anything about the Founder. This got a reaction from the dragon as she lifted her head and roared at the sky, absolutely terrifying the two mages.

"Your god!" She spat, "You would hurt a random stranger because it is the word of your god? Rewritten and translated for thousands of years from something someone wrote eons past?" She slammed back down to eye level, rage clearly burning in her pupils "There had better be another reason why you would attack someone out of the blue."

Professor Osmond raised an eyebrow and replied, "You talk as if you have never heard of the Founder before. Where are you from that you could not know of our fight with the elves? What are you specifically anyway, we have never encountered anything quite like you before. What species of dragon are you?"

Before Dovahkiin answered, Professor Colbert interrupted, "Sir, she was summoned by the Valliere child and is her familiar, however, it would be better if we find the elf before we question Dovahkiin. We have no idea what she could be doing in these parts."

Osmond turned to his companion, "You're quite right." Returning his attention to the dragon, he continued, "I hope to speak with you more about this later."

Dovahkiin nodded while containing her snarl, "I hope to see you again soon as well."

As the two men continued further into the forest, Dovahkiin stretched her wings. 'Gods,' she snorted, 'Why do people always fight over them? Why can't they just accept that there are the nine divines and leave it at that? Why does everyone need to kill each other over them?' She knew her thoughts were hypocritical, but she had already lived through the second war with the Aldmeri Dominion, and wasn't too keen on more religious fighting.

'Now on to much more important issues than the god of the land I am now stuck in. Food.' She was absolutely starving. If she had known that she was going to be misplaced in the grand cosmos then she probably would have packed a hind of meat, a tankard of mead. Oblivion, she would have raided Sheogorath's table if she had known this is where she was going to end up.

But, she didn't, and this led to her new problem. She wasn't going to hunt something down and eat it raw. Her form might be a dragon but she sure wasn't going to eat like one. The only place with food was the academy of elf-haters. 'Would eating a deer raw be so bad?' Dovahkiin wondered and she instantly remembered the sight of a dragon eating its way through a mammoth.

NOPE, she was getting back into that, uh, castle? Hall?...building. A quick Shout under her breath ensured that she couldn't see anyone's aura nearby, and another once again changed her to her Bosmer shape. Walking back to the edge of the trees, she retrieved the cloak she had dropped. The drawstring was broken, but that could be fixed. Throwing it over herself once more, she walked back to the academy.

"Nocturnal," Dovahkiin murmured under her breath as she approached the gate in the wall, "please, I know I don't pray to you often, but let me get into this building without raising the alarm." With her plea sent to the Daedric Prince of Night, Darkness, and Secrets, Dovahkiin got up and snuck her way past the wall. Above her, she could see people moving, including a pair of students who seemed to be having a romantic rendezvous. Dovahkiin rolled her eyes at the cheap lines the blond was telling the younger girl.

Observing the main tower, Dovahkiin moved around the courtyards surrounding the edifice. Hugging the wall, she was looking for what must have been the servant quarters. There needed to be one if this rich school was going to function in any fashion. After scanning for a good while, she saw a squat square building midday between the tower she had just passed and the next one, flush up against the central tower. It was obviously the servant quarters, as while the rest of the buildings were tall and graceful, usually spherical in nature, this one was common, square and rather dull looking. The perfect place for the less important people-who-do-everything-for-the-important-people to live.

The kitchen was most likely located somewhere inside. Glancing around, she walked away from the safety of the wall and approached the building. Peeking into the windows, she was greeted by the sight of a few people moving around the room, all in what could be called a maid's uniform. It was exactly what she'd expect from a stereotypical maid uniform: black dress with a white apron on the front, fit tightly to the body from neckline to knees with a neckerchief to finish the ensemble.

Dovahkiin blushed a little. It wasn't revealing, but it gave a good idea of their bust and was much less than most women in Skyrim would wear. 'They probably don't need as much clothing with the climate, and most of the women I run into have armor on anyways,' she reasoned.

Abandoning the window, she moved on to the next room. Nocturnal was on her side as she could see the room had only one person, a sleeping cook and the remains of a large meal set on the table, left overs from the mage's meal most likely. Reaching for the window, she found that it wasn't locked and slipped in through it. Softly alighting on the ground she shifted over to the table and quickly started eating. The cook didn't shift once in all of this.

Once she was done, she stared at the pile of food left uneaten. Food must be very inexpensive if this much could be wasted. Quickly moving to the cupboards nearby, she looked through some until she found a small basket that was empty. Picking it up and heading back to the table, she filled it with some bread, apples, and meat. When she had enough for tomorrow she quickly went to the window and made to pull it open.

Hand on clasp, she stopped short. Her ethics wouldn't let her leave without repaying the sleeping cook. She blamed her mother for this, but her mom hadn't led her wrong before. Going back to the chef, she looked around at the room. She could see the care and pride the chef must have as most surfaces were completely spotless. The only mess was in a corner where there were several pots that still contained their remains from being used. Moving over to them, she started washing. After a little while the pots were clean and she placed them back where she found them to dry. Returning to the window she quickly crawled out and vanished from the room.

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Professor Osmond and Colbert returned from the forest as the two moons rose above the treetops. They had spent the time since talking to Dovahkiin scouring the woods, but hadn't found a single trace of the elf anywhere. This disturbed them greatly as they worried that the elves had found a way to vanish into thin air. Where would they show up next time and in how great of numbers?

Passing into the headmaster's office, they started throwing ideas and scenarios back and forth, "What if all of the students are kidnapped tomorrow?" to "What if the queen and princess are both murdered in the night?!" Finally, it was the secretary, Miss Longueville, who interrupted their fears.

"How do you know that she meant any harm at all?" she asked in a momentary lull. Both men stopped and looked at her.

"What do you mean?" Colbert asked in response as Osmond tried to rationalize that his beautiful secretary could be arguing for the elves.

Osmond walked over to his desk and sat down, "What you don't get, Ms. Longueville, is that elves are creatures that the Founder himself has proclaimed as evil. There has never been a good elf in all of recorded history. This one simply couldn't have had any reason to be here except for causing evil deeds."

Longueville sighed, "You might have seen an evil being, but what I saw was a young woman who looked hungry. Note that she was looking at the food, not the students, until the first shout of fear." She paused a thoughtful look on her face, "In fact, I would go as far as to say that the reason that you didn't find her out there is because she is raiding the kitchens." Both Colbert and Osmond snorted; the idea was absolutely foolish.

"I doubt that very much, Ms. Longueville," Osmond claimed, reaching for his crystal glass. "In fact, I think that I'm going to prove you wrong." Placing his crystal on the table and murmuring a spell caused the clear crystal to glow and change color and soon the sight of the kitchen was visible. The view moved around the room and on the table was the worn out chef. Osmond winced and decided that he needed an assistant to help him if he was falling asleep in such a poor position. Just as he was to proclaim the obvious to his secretary, the window opened and the elf form before entered.

"Oh no, she is going to poison us all!" cried a hysterical Osmond.

"Wait and watch," ordered Ms. Longueville. Frightened but also fascinated by what they were watching, the elf quickly eat and loaded a basket with more food and was about to leave when she went back a washed the remaining dishes, an act that was completely selfless and finally left.

"That is what I saw, a hungry young woman." Longueville proclaimed, smirking at the two astonished faces that looked back at her.

* * *

 **So, Bosmer, elf, in the academy of magic**

 **Story wise there are going to be some problems if this gets out**

 **Any other problems? Specifically about my writing style or grammar**

 **If you see any PM me and let me know.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Good Sunday readers**

 **Still can't believe how how much people are interested in my story.**

 **And I am still afraid of how people will take my story ideas.**

 **Anywho, next chapter.**

 **Familiar of Zero belongs to some person,**

 **Skyrim belongs to some one else,**

 **I am nether of these people.**

* * *

 **Thanks to reviewers and commenters:**

 **DeadRich18: YES, you got the reference! You are my favorite reader for the next ten minuets. (::)**

 **Guest: Green Pact... maybe.**

 **Aline1: Thank you for the background, that really helps with the elf/human relations.**

 **Boyzilla: Thank you for your suggestion, I guess now I will have to go back and update the first chapter soon.**

 **Noir Detective: :} my style is fine, YES, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!**

 **PEJP Bengtzone: I haven't thought of having OCs, maybe if someone give me an interesting enough person then I will put them in, however I'm not planning any myself.**

 **Badak: I know that Dovahkiin is the title of the player but I didn't want to give her a name that someone else would complain about. I have given her another name that will be found in this chapter.**

 **Guest, I think this is a different Guest then the other one: Bosmer diet is about the green bact and I think I have already broken this in the last chapter.**

 **Chaos689: Do you want me to have Dovahkiin eat Louise? Is that what you are saying?**

* * *

Morning came far too early for Louise, yawning she looked around for her familiar, Then she remembered she had summoned a dragon. After her summoning she had been floating on air until dinner, she had been pulled out of her reverie by Momorency shouting and the professors charging out the door after the elf she had apparently seen.

Only a few had gotten a good look, the head had drawn back to the other side of the door rather fast but the teachers had immediately run out the door after the head but had been soundly defeated by said elf.

As she woke up completely a smile graced her face, Louise was easily terrified of elves but it was tempered by her joy at summoning a dragon. She still felt like laughing and start jumping for joy whenever she thought of the look on Kirche's face. Without much left to do she got up and started getting dressed.

Floating down to the breakfast hall she noticed that the occasional eye was aimed at her, an elf showing up out of the blue was a frightening experience but the Zero preforming a spell to such great effect was a much more ground breaking event in these halls. After offering a prayer to the founder Louise started eating and began to wonder, 'what does a dragon eat?'

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Dovahkiin awoke in the tree she had climbed into last night. 'wood elves,' she thought humorously remembering what people had called her kind back in Skyrim.

Placing everything she had, all two items, in a hollow on the trunk she jumped down to the ground. A murmur under her breath and she was a dragon. Not having anything else to do she started flying for the academy.

'Why can I fly so easily? I definitely didn't have wings before to practice with,' Dovahkiin was stumped by her own question. She had flown on Odahviing before and had watched plenty of birds, yet there was something about her own wings that were nigh on addicting to her.

Seeing the tower walls on the horizon she started drifting down into the open courtyard. A rather surprising sight was laid out on the green. Several tables and chairs with many most filled by students in black cloaks, among them were a wide variety of animals that Dovahkiin had never seen before.

'floating eyeball, lizard with fire tail, four legged dragons?' she looked around for something normal. 'oh thank Talso!' she mentally shouted as she caught sight of a dog and cat, happy that a normal animal could be seen nearby.

"KEEEEN!" a loud noise annoyed Dovahkiin and she turned her head to locate the sound, the small four leg blue dragon had seen her and had jumped back, trembling. Dovahkiin smirked at the dragon, it was almost funny seeing another dragon as smaller than herself all those times she had to be on the run from a giant flying lizard of death and now she was the giant flying lizard of death that put the fear in smaller beings.

Louise arrived outside to see everyone standing in shock, looking over she saw Dovahkiin, her incredible familiar grinning down on Tabitha's familiar. She hadn't realized until now how large her familiar was, sure she knew it was bigger than her but now she realized that it was maybe twice as large as the rhyme dragon.

"Dovahkiin," she called out to the larger dragon.

" **Hello little joor,"**

Confused Louise asked, "What does Joor mean? You used it before yesterday and I don't think anyone understood you."

Dovahkiin smiled down at her, " **the phrase joor means 'mortal' in Dovahzu'l or dragon tongue."**

Louise blinked the implications of what her familiar said, "So," she nonchalantly asked, "What do you mean when you call us 'mortal' are you...?" She was slightly afraid of the answer.

" **I don't know if I am immortal, it just felt right to call you joor,"** Dovahkiin said, her Bosmer heritage gave her long life (two-hundred years give or take) but when she had become a dragon she might have gained the life span of a dragon, i.e. immortality.

She wasn't sure just how she knew that, she physically felt no different than before but there was something within her that made her feel younger, refreshed. It was confusing. Thinking back, she tried to find a way to test if she was immortal, except for waiting an extremely long time and seeing what happens she couldn't think of a way to test it.

" **Moving on, what is going on?"** Dovahkiin asked gesturing to the tables.

"Oh, that," Louise said recovering from the idea of an immortal dragon belonging to her, "the second years get the day off to bond with their familiars, to get to know them."

Walking over to an open spot on the grass Dovahkiin lounged down on her belly. " **So what do you want to do for 'bonding' time?"** Dovahkiin asked looking at her summoner. Louise sighed and pulled a chair over to her dragon.

"I would like to ask you about where you come from," Louise had spent the night before thinking over what she wanted to ask. "No one has heard of a talking dragon, I checked it out in the library, the only dragons that were able to talk could only do so when they physically shifted into a human shape. Even then the most common thing that they talked about was food and eating."

" **You are curious why I can talk and if there are any more like me, right?"** Dovahkiin asked getting right to the heart of her question.

"Yes," Louise said.

" **Alright, Akatosh the god of time created all dragons from himself-"**

"THAT IS IMPOSIPLE!" Louise shouted interrupting her familiar. Dovahkiin raised an eyebrow at the little girl, "There are no gods besides the founder, Brimir himself! Any other claims of divine begins are cults," Louise stated fierily.

The dragon raised both eyebrows in surprise at the Childs outburst, then started to get angry. " **The NINE DEVINES are the gods of Skyrim and all of Nirn, the leader and most powerful is Akatosh god of time, the others are-"**

"You have been lied to Dovahkiin!" Louise snapped, rather brave for a chicken nugget to Dovahkiin. "The founder who gave all mages their magic is the one true god, none others exist, you will cease your faith in these lies."

" **Stum Bah Qo!"** The sky instantly grew dark. Louise blinked and looked up in surprise, the weather was supposed to be sunny and bright all day, this storm came literally out of nowhere.

Dovahkiin lowered her head until she was staring into the eyes of the wet mage. " **The nine divines are the gods of Skyrim. The deadrics are arguably the demons of Skyrim. All Nirn dragons are the children of Akatosh, fragments of a gods' power from the oldest Alduin to the youngest Dovahkiin. WE ARE DEMIGODS!"** Dovahkiin roared at the petrified mage. " **I kindly ask,"** Dovahkiin said calming down a little, " **that you allow me to worship as I see fit to who I see fit, or Talos help me, I will eat you, insignificant joor."**

Louise was terrified as the wind buffeted her and the rain started pouring over the area. As lightning started striking around them the crowd ran for the safety of the tower.

Dovahkiin slammed a wing down on the ground in front of Louise and growled deeply at her. " **This is the power of the Dovah, the children of a god, you may practice your religion, I will not stop you from doing so, but I expect you to never again order me to give up my ways. The Thalmor, a race of elves back in Skyrim attempted to do that for one of the gods. They are now licking their wounds, utterly defeated."**

Louise trembled and nodded quickly as a bolt of lightning struck the ground nearby, praying internally that she wouldn't anger the beast again. Apparently satisfied Dovahkiin allowed her to run back to the building, and out of the rain.

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Inside the students were soaking wet, most were grumbling and trying to shake the water from their cloaks and looking at the sky in wonder.

"Where did this horrid rain come from? Wasn't the day supposed to be clear?" Guiche asked loudly lifting his rose wand to his nose.

Kirche moaned suggestively, "My clothes are all ruined and clingy now."

Tabitha was rather surprisingly soaked as well; her element of wind should have helped her avoid the rain but apparently not even she was spared. "Magic storm," She said in a monotone.

Most people turned to her is surprise, "Are you saying," Guiche said cautiously, "that a mage spent time magically forming a storm just to soak us on our day off!?" outrage spread across his face, "the dastardly villain ruined my day with Momorency for his entertainment!?"

"No," Tabitha said looking at the door, waiting. "What do you mean Tabby?" Kirche asked looking at her friend. At that moment the door opened and a dripping wet Louise came in, a shocked look on her face. Tabitha went to her immediately, "Why?"

Louise blinked at the blue haired girl in front of her. "D'What? What do you mean 'why'?" Louise stuttered confusedly. Tabitha pointed out the window, "dragon rain, why?"

"Tabby, you saying that the Zero's dragon created this rain storm?" Kirche asked surprised at the idea. Tabitha nodded and looked to Louise expectantly.

Louise sighed and looked down in defeat, "we were arguing about the founder. She believes in nine separate divinities and I told her to stop believing in cults. She then claimed that dragons where she came from are the children of the god of time. I told her off again and she got angry and shouted into the air, this storm is a result of her anger."

No one moved, a heretic dragon. No one knew what to think about that one. Curiosity overtook the group as the news that an angry dragon had created this storm. Shock overtook the crowd next as they heard that the dragon talked about other gods. Students started talking about the strange dragon and its summoner.

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Dovahkiin felt bad that she had let her anger get the better of her. She hadn't meant to cause a storm but she suddenly felt hot flames of rage burning their way through her at the girl's attempt to dictate who she could believe in or not and had instantly shouted to the sky thinking of the Thalmors attempts at stamping out Talos worship. Now she sat in the rain, feeling sorry and wet.

" **Laas Yah Nir!"** She looked around and found that the servants' quarters were mostly empty and they would be dry. Walking over to the wall she climbed up and flew off to her tree, upon arrival she shouted into her bosmer form. Quickly racing over to the academy she slinked around to the servants' quarters and peaked in the window.

No one was in this room, in fact it seemed to be a rather old storage room. Forcing the window open, bemoaning the loss of her lock pick collection, she let herself in. Within was a group of old furniture and a pair of chests.

Adventurer instincts kicking in Dovahkiin went over to the chests, luck/Nocturnal was still with her as none were locked. Within the first were several pairs of servant uniforms and student uniforms, All male. Looking at the other chest with suspicion Dovahkiin went over and lifted the lid, as expected it was full of cloths for students and maids. Blushing a little still Dovah looked down at her wet cloak, literally anything else would be better than this so she removed a uniform from the chest and held it up.

Dovahkiin, finished with dressing, checked herself in a mirror she found to the side, it hugged her upper form just a little, but covered all that needed to be covered and that little tripoint hat thing if used properly could firmly hold the points of her ears back inside of her hair. The most important thing was that it was warm, dry, and covered her entire body, three things that her cloak didn't do.

Settling down on a cloth covered chair she allowed her head to loll to the side. Today was a disaster, and it was still before noon, first she had to steal food (that was the night before but she counted it) then the fight with Louise, now she was sneaking around a place where she shouldn't be wearing spare (stolen) cloths. Glancing over at the window she watched the monsoon.

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"Wake up! The cook needs help." Dovahkiin blinked blearily, she must have drifted off because a gentle but firm shake on her shoulders was a complete surprise and the sun through the clouds was gaining a reddish tint.

Looking over at who woke her she was greeted by a black hared girl in a maids' uniform. A harried look on her face surprised Dovahkiin, then she registered what the teen had said, "What should I do about it?" She asked in confusion.

The girl blinked in surprise, "help me in the kitchen, come on dessert will be late if we don't hurry." Pulling the Bosmer up by her arms the maid darted out of the room, still clinging to Dovahkiin.

"Wait, hold on, I'm not, will you listen? Nope guess you won't," was all Dovahkiin was able to get out as the surprisingly fast girl dragged her through the halls.

Landing in the kitchen Dovahkiin was surprised by all the activity, servants were carrying large baskets of what looked like cherries to cauldrons that were suspended over the fire, the head Chef was standing next to them, adding sugar. Glancing up at the two new arrivals he immediately pointed to the table, "Siesta I need you to roll out dough, you what's your name?" he demanded in a rush.

"Dova-" Dovahkiin managed. "Dove, ok you take the dough that Siesta rolls out and place it in the ramekins nearby. Quickly now!" Pulling Dovahkiin over to the table the girl, Siesta quickly flowered her hands and a rolling pin.

"Lay out rolls of dough so I can get them flattened out," Siesta ordered as she started rolling. "What happened to the last batch of, cherry pies?" Dove asked deciding to see where this goes.

Siesta rolled some dough as she answered, "The last batch was left on the window seals to cool a little and then this rain showed up out of nowhere. Unfortunately, the cook was napping and didn't notice until it was too late and the pies were ruined." Dove winced guilt clutching at her, Siesta wondered why.

"Does the cook always fall asleep during the day?" Dove asked.

Siesta nodded, "His job makes it so that he needs to be awake before dawn to have food ready for the staff and stay late until the students go to bed, some stay up rather late at night."

Dove looked at the Chef as he stirred the cherry mash. "He doesn't look like he is tired," she said looking around his eyes and face, no bags, or drooping lids, all signs showed a perfectly alert man.

Siesta laughed a little, "he cares for his cooking so he won't show anything until this batch is done, then he might just fall asleep on the table." Again Dove winced and Siesta was left confused.

"Hey Siesta," Dove was moderately sure that she would regret this but something was telling her to continue.

"Yes Dove?" Siesta asked without looking up from the dough.

"Is the academy hiring anyone? Maybe an assistant Chef seeing how he needs one?" Dove asked.

Siesta looked thoughtful, "I heard that the headmaster was asking the Chef to find someone who could help him. He wanted to appoint someone was the assistant Chef but Martone said that he didn't want just anyone poking around his kitchen. Why do you ask? Do you know anyone who needs a job?"

Dove shifted her uncertainty palpable, "yes I do, I don't have a job."

Siesta blinked and looked up at the brunet. "What do you mean you don't have a job? You are wearing a maids' uniform."

Dove dipped her head, "I am a traveler and got caught outside in the rain. I kind of snuck into that room, and all my clothes were wet, so I kind of temporarily barrowed them from a chest I found." Dove rubbed her head, "Then I kind of dozed off in their warmth and then got dragged here by you and now I'm helping out."

Siesta hadn't moved since the admission, frozen surprise. Dove moved to the left Siesta didn't respond, Dove moved to the right and Siesta still didn't respond, "was what I said wrong? Should I leave?" Dove asked concern evident. Siesta finally blinked and shook her head,

"No no, you just caught me off guard. I thought that you were a maid and I was embarrassed that I forced you here," Siesta murmured the last part.

Dove smiled gently, "So, do you think I could get the job if I ask for it?" Siesta watched Dove laying out the pie dough, noticing how sure and quickly she spread it.

"Yes, I think that you could get the job," Siesta said smiling.

Dove looked up a grin on her face as well, "So when do you think that I should ask? Obviously I should wait for this to be over but do you think I should wait a little while or~?"

Siesta shook her head, "you should ask immediately afterwards, while the rest of us are delivering the pies you should take the time to ask."

"Got it."

Dove decided not to leave anything to chance and after they had laid out the pie dough she went over to the cauldrons and started laying out the ingredients for the final batch.

Martone, the head Chef had taken a break and sat down to wipe the sweat off his face and breath before finishing the cooking. Much to his surprise and secret gratitude Siesta grabbed his arm when he started to stand up and return to work. He loved that girl like his own daughter but he needed to return to work.

"Siesta, let go. I'm so close to finishing," he grumbled in his deep voice.

"Wait and watch," Siesta said smiling at the cook. Martone grumbled, confused as to why she would say something like that. Watching he saw a young brown hared women in a maids' uniform walk over to the cauldron and start measuring out sugar.

'Isn't that Dove?' Martone looked over at Siesta, she gave him a grin, "she doesn't have a job, got caught in the rain and I allowed her to use the maids' cloths until she got dry. She is rather good and I suggested she ask you for an assistant job." Martone blinked and scrutinized the woman again, noting that she had everything ready for the cherries.

As a servant came in with a basket of cherries Martone pointed over to the woman. Nodding the man carried them over to her. As soon as the basket was on the ground the women started plucking out a few bad ones, 'insuring quality' and measured out the rest.

Quickly and effectively she started them boiling and added most of the ingredients at first, waiting until they were finished and added the rest. Pulling over the pans she poured the cherries into the pies. Finished she finally placed the pans in the oven and sat down waiting.

"She is good," Martone said looking at the beaming Siesta.

"I told you that she was," Siesta said back.

"Alright," Martone stood cracking his knuckles, "everyone, start slicing the pies, Yang, get the plates, Simonds, go help her, Dove, watch the cherry pies, let me know when they are ready."

"AYE SIR!"

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Louise sat the dinner table, the meal was taking a little longer than anticipated and she was hungry. After a minute or two longer the appetizers finally arrived. Maids came out of the halls, baskets of rolls and honey came out. Ripping into the rolls Louise absently pushed wads in her mouth. As if sensing her lack of attention Kirche leaned in,

"Hello, Louise?" She said. No response.

"Hey, Zero, are you there?" Louise looked over blankly and then returned to staring straight ahead. Losing her patience Kirche pulled her food over to herself. Louise gently pawed the table top for a second before she blinked and looked down.

"Your food is over here but you won't get it until you tell us why you are so dead in the eyes," Kirche stated.

Louise growled, "give me back my food, Zerbst." Kirche reached down and slowly picked up a roll. Popping it into her mouth she watched Louise steam, "not until you tell me why you were staring into space."

Louise clenched her hand and shook it at Kirche, "Myreasonsaremyreasonssoleavemealoneandgivemebackmyfood!" She said in one breath.

Kirche laughed, "there is something wrong, just tell me about it and I will leave you alone to eat."

Louise slumped, "why do you care?" she asked suspiciously.

Kirche lolled her head to the side, "boredom mostly, and it is my job to annoy you, if you are annoyed and I haven't done anything then I am failing in my job."

Louise got a tick mark on her head, "It isn't any of your business, Zerbst, but I was wondering about what my familiar said." More maids came out loaded down with the main meal.

Tabitha, sitting next to them was suddenly listening a little harder than before. "What did your familiar say? apart from there being other gods then the founder?" Kirche asked.

"Not much," Louise admitted, "we started arguing about gods rather quickly but one thing I got out of her was that she was from a place called Skyrim and something called the Nirn, it sounded like she was saying that this Nirn was another realm of existence and that she came from there."

Tabitha raised an eyebrow and glanced at Louise. Kirche looked up, thinking about it, "another land called Skyrim. Do you think the boys there are cute?"

Louise slammed her arm down on the table and rose to her feet. "Do you ever pull your head out of the gutter!?" Louise shouted at the larger girl. Kirche grinned, elated at Louise's reaction.

"It was an honest question; now why do you care? Your familiar has been summoned here and now she is yours, anything else doesn't matter." Louise rolled her eyes, "My familiar is intelligent, what if dragons are the dominant culture in Skyrim? What if I have kidnapped Dovahkiin from someone important? I was looking over everything I know about her to see if I have done something wrong."

Kirche sighed, "no one has heard of this land, Skyrim. Let alone this Nirn; it sounds like her heaven. So claiming to come from there would mean your dragon is from heaven. It sounds to me like you have nothing to fear apart from her being crazy."

"Would anyone like some pie?"

All three girls were surprised by the voice of a maid nearby. Turning they saw a pair of maids, one was a common sight around academy, black haired and sweet, Siesta.

Next to her was a completely new face, no one had seen her before. The maids were just commoners to the students so unless they had some interesting feature no one noticed if they were new or not.

The brown haired woman was rather pretty with high cheekbones and a nice toned figure. Most of her body was hidden by the Uniform, but the upper part seemed just a little tight on her generous teenage form.

"Would any of you like some Cherry pie? I made it myself," the woman said. Her voice was nice, some nearby boys wanted to hear it sing. She ignored them until her business at the table was done.

"Please," Tabitha said holding out her hand.

"I'm sorry, but what do you mean?" Dove asked a little confused.

"Pie," answered Tabitha.

"Oh, sorry I didn't understand you." Tabitha took the offered pie and started eating.

IT WAS DELICIOUS, and she finished it quickly, asking for seconds.

The maid was surprised and then laughed at the stone faced, stone faced with a smidge or two of cherry smeared at the corners of her lips, Tabitha reaching for more.

'Like a baby bird,' Dove thought and handed Tabitha another plate.

"Who are you?" Kirche asked, unbelieving the sight of Tabitha eating so quickly and with less manners then she had ever shown before.

The smiling maid turned to them and bowed, "I am Dove, would you like to try my cherry pie?"

* * *

 **Any story issues? Major spelling issues? PM me with any you see.**

 **I really hope none of you want to hurt me now that I made Dovahkiin get a job as a maid.**

 **Please?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi readers.**

 **So I am wondering, there seemed to be less reviews on the last chapter then the other two,**

 **am I getting better?**

 **Or**

 **are people getting bored?**

 **please answer which**

 **Familiar of Zero belongs to a person I really should look the name up**

 **Skyrim belongs to yet another person, I think its a group, that I should look the name up**

* * *

 **Shikkokuakushintei:(please say I spelled that right) Major events? I will have them but I think that most will be different from the book/amine because Dovahikiin isn't going to be like Saito.**

 **Guest: yes half a brain should realize that Doves name sounds like the beginning of Dovahikiin, but the spicies difference should keep them from drawing the connection.**

 **Jackalope89: Cherry pie... I DIDN'T REALIZE THE REFERENCE WHEN I WROTE THAT! NOOO I HAVE FAILED YOU *anime tears***

 **Helkil: I LOVE that OC idea, I just can't think of a way to bring her in right now:{**

 **Guest (I swear this 'Guest' guy is reproducing by budding,) : her ears are hidden in her hair and head piece. love your laughter by the way.**

 **Noir Detective: I didn't even think of the song when I wrote that, I just was thinking about a family reunion where we eat lots of pie. Elveness spotting? I think the headmaster would find out first because of his peeping on girls, but maybe not since Dove is being careful.**

 **PEJP Bengtzone: thanks for the spelling issue note, OCs for Kirches salamander would be annoying but interesting to see, Water Spirit? I'm going to leave that alone until I get to that bridge.**

 **Sekai - The World: NOOOO! Now I have so much pressure and anxiety about telling Louise she has an elf as a familiar!**

* * *

Dove got along with the other maids rather easily. This was probably helped by Martone, the head Chef, and his immediate appointment of Dove to the position of assistant Chef. This declaration removed the majority of the problems that Dove had; all of the servants liked Martone and many had tried for the position of assistant Chef just to ease the load from their friend. Dove filled the position that was most needed and they were thankful that he could get proper rest. The other problem that this fixed was sleeping arrangements, it had frightened Dove for a little while that her ears would be discovered while she slept by early risers or late arrivals. As it turned out there was some old rule that demanded that there be separate sleeping quarters for the cooks and "more valuable" servants, and since the other cook was male it left her with her own room.

The room wasn't all that large, probably eight feet by ten feet, but had a nice bed and a wardrobe with her maid's uniforms, she stubbornly wouldn't wear the Chefs uniform, no one knew why and just decided that she liked it better. While Dove didn't really care if she was wearing a dress or heavy armor she knew that the Chefs hat wouldn't hide her ears from view.

As a cook her duties included; preparing meals, making sure that the kitchen was clean, and occasionally serving the meal when it was done. After a quick talk with Martone she had a schedule worked out with him. He would wake up and prepare breakfast and start lunch, then she would take over for afternoon tea and dinner. This way they had the day split evenly between each other. Dove added to her duties by helping Siesta clean the halls and serve more meals than she really needed to, but she enjoyed talking to the younger girl and learned a lot about her and by extension the kingdom she was now a part of.

Rather quickly Dove found herself protective of Siesta, she assumed that this was the case for everyone who came to know her seeing how everyone cared for her.

It wasn't all good, soon after she had become one of the staff she started to notice how vain everyone seemed to be, she put her heart into the meals and cleaning but it didn't get any recognition from the students. If fact unless they were second year and above boys,then she was invisible. The boys that did notice only seemed to notice her after glancing around six inches below her chin. Those she felt the intense desire to shout to death.

One that made repeated attempts to gain her attention was a second year that she had noticed at the failed bonding exercise. Guiche seemed to be his name, she might have given him a chance if she didn't know that he had a girlfriend and she remembered hearing his voice as one of the romantic pairs she had overheard as she snuck in the servant's quarter the first time.

The only second year that interested her wasn't even male, Dove was getting concerned about Louise. There were rumors circling around the academy that she was treated rather poorly. Apparently her summoning of Dovahkiin was literally the only sign that she had any magical talent at all. As such she often was targeted by bullies, now Dovahkiins claims to believing in the nine divines had apparently only hurt her fragile reputation, and being absent from Louise's side was also slowly killing her credibility.

Dovahkiin sighed as she dusted off a statue in the dining room. She debatably didn't have a reason to help Louise, so far all she had done to Dovahkiin was summon her with Sheogoraths help and try to order her beliefs around. On the other hand, it was her lack of appearances over the last few days that had caused her decline of reputation. She would need to visit Louise tonight at least, maybe let her in on her shapeshifting secrete, if only to boost the girl's spirits before something bad happens.

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Siesta was carrying a tray of Dove's pies, several boys and girls were looking at her hungrily. Dove's pies had become one of the most sought after treats in the academy.

As she past an open spot on the ground she noticed a glass bottle just lying there next to the chair of a noble boy. Quickly she went over and laid the tray down, kneeling down to retrieve the glass. "Hey Guiche, which girl are you dating now?" Siesta didn't mean to listen in but she was right next to the table and hence was able to hear everything that the boys were saying.

Guiche gestured flamboyantly with his rose wand. "Now fellows," he said, "I will have you know that I simply can't contain my love for a single woman, I am like the sun, giving all my light to the many flowers of the garden."

To the side a younger girl in a brown cloak was approaching the group, "Sir, I believe you dropped this," Siesta said holding up the bottle she had retrieved.

Guiche saw the bottle and panicked slightly, "I'm sorry," he said quickly, "that doesn't belong to me."

He was a horrible actor and that drew the attention of the other boys to what was in the girl's hand. "Hey isn't that one of Momorency's special perfumes?" one of them asked. The girl in brown stopped, in her hands was a rather nice looking soufflé.

"Of course it is one of mine, I gave it to Guiche," Momorency said stalking over to the group, "he is my boyfriend after all."

The brown cloaked girl froze and her soufflé fell from her trembling hands. Then she was suddenly moving forwards, her hand came up and back down on Guiche's face.

"LIAR, you said there was no one but me, you said that I was special. I gave you my first kiss and was going to give you my soufflé!" the girl started babbling between tears.

Guiche lifted a hand to the print on his face, "Kate I-"

"NO," the now identified Kate shrieked in tears, "I don't want to hear any more of your lies!"

"Who is this Guiche?" a malevolent voice said from next to the group. Guiche gulped and faced Momorency. "No one fair Momorency, I have never seen her befo-" Two things happened at once; one Kate started to wail loudly and two Momorency leaned in, "then why did you call her Kate?"

Rock and a hard-place were replaced with hands as one of Momorency's came down on Guiches other cheek. Now branded with two hand prints Guiche could only stand there in shock as the two girls left him, surprisingly they seemed to leave together and take comfort in each other's presence. Anger flared in Guiche and he looked around for a suitable target to vent his shame. The maid was still holding onto the bottle.

Turning towards her he placed his hand on his waist and pointed his wand at the maid. "You, because of your actions two young girls have had their hearts broken. What do you have to say for yourself?" he said arrogantly, his face growing red.

"What is going on here?" Guiche panicked for a second, his pose wavered for a second thinking that it was a teacher. To his relief it was just one of the cooks.

'Wait, didn't I flirt with her?' he wondered as she approached.

"Dove!" Siesta called, smiling at the teen Chef. Guiche now remembered that he had attempted to flirt with her, and she had promptly shut him down. Siesta held up the bottle for Dove to see,

"I was giving this back to Mr. Guiche when those two girls accused him of two-timing them and slapped him. Now her says it's my fault because I picked up the bottle that made them realize that he had cheated on them."

Dove smirked," So you finally got caught huh?" Guiche trembled. Momorency glared at Dove, realizing what she had said and what it meant.

"How long have you known that her was cheating on us?"

"Ever since he made a pass at me a few days ago."

Guiche, despite being an earth mage hadn't ever seen an up close and personal view of the ground, not until Momorency came over and hit him so hard that he was laid out flat.

Momorency trembled with rage, "YOU CHEATED ON ME WITH TWO DIFFERENT GIRLS!"

Guiche whimpered an excuse as Momorency turned and walked over to Dove, "How long, did he date you?" She demanded when she was close enough, hoping that her pain wasn't visible on her face.

Dove snorted, "why do you think that I would date him? I was well aware that he had at least one girlfriend but I didn't expect that he would have more than one." Momorency started tearing up, shamed that a commoner had easily seen though her boyfriend's actions.

Guiche jumped into the gap, this time his wand was pointed at the cook as he demanded, "how dare you make a young woman cry, have you no shame?"

Dove snorted, again, "she is crying because of what you did, making this your fault."

"How dare you accuse me of such an unbecoming act!" Guiche blustered. "I challenge you to a dual."

The crowd gasped and stared at their classmate. Dove sighed, "you challenge me, someone who has no real baring on the situation, someone who almost was one of your playboy victims,"

Guiche started to sweat, shame growing as Dove laid the situation out.

"Who can't possibly win said challenge because you are a noble and I'm not. A young man challenging a maid to a fight just to beat her up, hoping that in doing so you will regain some of your honor that you lost by hurting two younger girl's feelings?"

The look of disappointment broke Guiche, and he started back up hoping to leave, to hid his shame.

Dove glared at the retreating boys back, "I accept your challenge."

Guiche blinked and stared at the cook as if she had grown another head.

"Meet me in the next courtyard," Dove said and headed in that direction.

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The crowd gathered on the field, murmuring about how shameful this entire event was. Most were feeling the shame of Guiches actions, like they had become dirty by being noble like him. Many others were worrying for Dove hoping that she wouldn't get hurt. An extremely small minority was hoping that Dove would get hurt for shaming their friend.

Guiche didn't want to do this anymore. Dove had turned this event into his own public shamming. He simply wanted to leave and die in a hole somewhere in the forest.

As Dove walked onto the field Guiche called out to her, "I apologize, I am truly sorry for my words and regret what they meant to you."

Dove paused, facing opposite the nobleman. "I don't accept your apology. You are noble, your word is supposed to be your bond. So far you have soiled your honor by toying with two women, now if you run away then you might as well die."

"But I am a noble, I fight with magic, I can't regain my honor by casting a spell from afar and winning," Guiche said, hoping to reason out of this.

Dove smiled, "then get a sword and wield it yourself, use your own skill and strength to prove yourself."

The crowd gasped at the audacity of the maid, nobles don't lower themselves to the level of a commoner. Others wondered how well a cook could be with a sword. Guiche trembled. "As I understand it," Dove continued on, "you are an earth mage. You can make swords for us to use." Guiche nodded. "Then make us a pair."

Guiche lifted his wand reluctantly, with a flick a pair of plain one handed swords grew out of the ground. Dove walked over a picked up the closer one and held the other out to Guiche. "Come on boy, fight."

Guiche took the sword from the cook's hands. And walked to his starting place.

A random Student shouted "BEGIN!"

Guiche raced forwards from his stance and stabbed forwards and Dove was gone.

Guiche gasped and turned to see Dove next to and slightly behind him sword resting just above his shoulder, point aimed at his jugular.

"I win. I see you at least know the basics stances; I expect you to do better next time." Stabbing the ground Dove moved off.

Guiche spluttered, "Next time? what do you mean next time? You have won, decisively I might add."

Dove smiled over her shoulder, "I have and I expect you to at least be able to keep your eyes on me next time we spare, I will be sparing with you again before you have gained any honor back."

Guiche stood there slack jawed.

Siesta ran over, "Dove, are you alright? Why did you do that and did you just say that you two are going to fight again? Why? you could get hurt and-"

Dove raised a hand forestalling the avalanche of questions she knew was coming, "Yes, I am alright. I did it to protect us and teach a lesson. Finally, if he wants to get his honor back, and he will, but he will have to work hard and take an equaly hard look at himself. He will learn not to shift the guilt onto the nearest servant. He will be forced to own up to his faults and become stronger for it. Now he will be busy practicing and leave us alone. I can't just tell him the answers to what this practice will teach him and expect him understand it in a single spare so we will fight again."

Siesta frowned, "What lesson is that?"

"The hardest one for someone like him to learn," Dove said grinning, "Humility."

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Louise felt like crying herself to sleep. Ever since the bonding day almost an entire week ago where she had fought with Dovahkiin she had been looking for her familiar to apologize for offending her.

In the beginning she had wanted to argue more with the dragon but almost before the first day was out that anger had turned to fear that Dovahkiin had left her. Not even watching Guiche get defeated by a maid was enough to bring her spirits up from the pit they had sunk to.

Looking around the academy and nearby forest for her familiar wasn't much help, she had gone in and searched the area on foot and even eaten her pride and asked Tabitha to look around on her rhyme dragon. Neither could find the missing dragon and now she lay on her bed crying.

'Stupid, I can't believe that I was so rude and stupid. Now that Dovahkiin has left me for good I don't have a familiar, I will get kicked out of the academy!' she thought as she sobbed into her pillow.

Knock knock knock.

A trio of quick knocks alerted her to someone outside her door, bolting upright she quickly dried her eyes, hoping that whoever it was wouldn't see how red they were. "Who is it?" She called to the door.

"My lady, it's Dove the maid," came the muffled reply from the other side. Louise was confused why the maid was here.

She hadn't done anything to offend the servants and the most of the teachers were asleep so they couldn't have called for her so Dove must have another reason for disturbing her so late at night.

She thought about everything she knew on Dove instead. Her amazing cherry pie, personality wise she was nice but very reserved… and 'physically larger' than Louise was yet said she was only nineteen.

Not finding a reason to listen to her, Louise considered telling her to leave. Then the memory of Guiche loosing returned, instead she said, "Come in."

Dove entered and immediately noticed the redness in Louise's eyes. "My lady, are you alright?" she asked concern for her summoner spiking.

Louise nodded vigorously, trying to hide her eyes in her hair, "Fine, do you need something?"

Dove got a hard look in her eye that surprised Louise. "I need you to get dressed and follow me," she said in a no nonsense tone of voice. Louise blinked, she had never heard Dove speak like that before.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" She asked concerned at the older girls change of attitude. glancing at the window she noted the moon was rising up out of the trees. "Where do we have to go so late at night?"

Dove rolled her eyes, rather disrespectfully for a servant to a noble student. "Dovahkiin would like to speak to you," she said getting Louise's immediate attention.

"Oh, alright, help me into my uniform on," Louise said cowed by the name of her angry dragon familiar. Quickly setting out the girl's cloths Dove held out Louise's blouse as Louise stripped. Louise put it on and Dove handed Louise her skirt and tied on her cloak, placing the pentagon pendent on the center of her neckline. Stepping back, she proclaimed her decent and opened the door for her.

"Dovahkiin in just outside the academy and wants to speak with you privately. I am to show you where to go." With a nod Louise followed the servant to the entry way, passing Guiche with his latest conquest on the way out. Arriving at the front of the academy Dove turned and marched towards the woods. Louise paused at the edge of light from the academy walls, a little frightened of what she couldn't see beyond the torch light.

"Come on my lady, Dovahkiin was quite insistent and I don't want an angry dragon after me." Dove said. Louise shivered, remembering Dovahkiins rage and followed the servant.

The woods were deep and close, the trees seemed to squeeze the light out of the world around them. Only the hand on Doves shoulder allowed Louise to make it through the trees without falling flat on her face. Just as she was about to complain about the light they suddenly broke into a moonlit clearing, maybe fifty meters in diameter. Louise gasped at the stars she could see through the tiny clouds.

One thing was missing from this picture, Dovahkiin. "Where is Dovahkiin?" Louise asked turning to her stripping companion.

Louise blinked, Dove had her neckerChef undone and half of her buttons undone. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Louise shouted at her.

Dove blushed, "I don't want to damage my cloths, I only got a few," she said not meeting Louise's eye.

Louise was confused and was about to open her mouth to berate the older teen when the dress fell away. Louise blinked and looked away but then looked back as her brain recognized what she had seen. Across Doves body several scars, some were tiny points, one or two looked like burns and one on her forearm looked like an extremely large animal bite, all were scars that shouldn't be on a 'nineteen' year old women.

Then Dove removed her white headdress and her ears flicked out from where they had been tied down. Louise immediately panicked and reached for her wand, she had left it on her bedside table.

'crap!"

Blubbering almost incoherently Louise backed up from the nude elf, "Get away, don't touch me, DOVAHKIIN HELP ME!"

Dove rolled her eyes, "Louise, Dovahkiin i-"

"Did you do something to Dovahkiin!?" Louise shouted, "maybe she doesn't hate me and was just stopped by this elf." Dove rolled her eyes again, losing patience with the sixteen-year-old.

"Mul Qah Diiv!"

Louise blinked and refocused on the elf, that shout sounded like a spell that Dovahkiin would use. Shock overcame her as Dove started to change colors, her skin grew harder and started to 'lift' from her body, forming ridges and shapes that wasn't there before. Arms spread and became flatter forming wings, nails both on her hands and legs grew and became black/blue. her face stretched into a muzzle and fangs were seen pocking in-between her lips. Hair shrunk and horns grew, in under ten seconds where Dove had stood was Dovahkiin.

Louise felt her legs give out from under her. Dovahkiin thumped over and lowered herself into the ground, coiling her tail around the flabbergasted girl. "You are an elf," Louise said hollowly.

" **The name you are looking for is Bosmer. In Skyrim there are a race of people called the Mer, they are separated into sub species known as Altmor, Falmer, Dunmer, Orsimer, and Bosmer, or as they are also known, High elves, Snow elves, Dark elves, Orcs, and Wood elves."**

"And they can turn into dragons, founder we don't stand a chance," Louise said. Dovahkiin started chuckling. "Quit it! If the rest of you come to invade, then Tristian will fall in probably less than a day and then the rest of the county by then end of the week." Dovahkiin laughed harder.

" **Little joor, if all Mer could turn into dragons then Skyrim would have fallen to the rather arrogant Thalmor a long time ago. I am so far the only one who can shift into a dragon,"** Dovahkiin said, a shudder running through her at the idea of dragon Thalmor attacking Whiterun or Winterhold.

Louise blinked, the world didn't look so dark anymore. "So, what makes you so powerful that you can turn into an elf? is it like nature magic?" Dovahkiin smirked,

" **I am Dovahkiin,"** at Louise's exasperated look Dovahkiin grinned. " **It is both a title and my name, it means dragonborn. Because of it I share a special bond with the dragons. I have never heard of nature magic, what does it do?"**

Louise frowned, "I don't know too much about it, it is said that ancient dragons could use it change their shape into a human one and talk like a normal person, but it was said that many of these dragons were still mostly driven by their animalistic needs."

Dovahkiin kept on chuckling, " **I don't know of anything like this nature magic you are talking about. I am a Bosmer, a wood elf. Dovah are powerful creatures, dovahzul is literally power in the form of language. Dovah don't often speak as a result, fearing that they could accidently cause catechisms by talking to one another. However, this changing into and back from a dragon is something that I have never heard of before."**

Louise frowned. "So, you are this Bosmer dragonborn, what does that mean?"

Dovahkiin sighed, " **Dov Ah Kiin, Dragon hunter child. I was 're'born as the one chosen to be the slayer of the dragons in the land of Skyrim. Born with the powers, blood, and soul of a dovah."**

Louise thought about that, "So you were an elf who was 're'born as a dragon slayer. How did you end up as a dragon? If you don't use nature magic, then something very powerful must have affected you."

Dovahkiin sighed, " **This is about where we got in an argument last time, I was minding my own business when I ran into Sheogorath, the daedric prince of madness, he did something that seems to have reached out and affected your spell. Deadrics are basically demons where I am from, although not all of them are evil."**

Louise didn't want to fight with Dovahkiin anymore, afraid that she might leave for good this time. "I won't argue with you, if you believe in this Shoo-girth affected my spell, then I won't contradict you, just stop being mad at me okay?"

Dovahkiin suddenly rose and leaned close to Louise. Louise quickly got to her feet, swaying a little as they had started to go to sleep on her. lowering her head until it was level with Louise's

Dovahkiin crooned, " **Little Joor, I wasn't mad with you at all. Your words reminded me of a war that I took part in where one side claimed that a god didn't exist and my side proclaimed that he did. I was sick of fighting religious wars and afraid that you would try and force your religion on me. After I shouted at you and called the rain I was so sorry that I sat out there and started to cry."**

Louise sniffed, 'rule of steel, I won't cry.' She laid her hand on Dovahkiin's snout, it felt hard yet somehow slightly fuzzy.

'Rule of steel,' she chanted in her head.

" **I am sorry for worrying you,"** Dovahkiin hushed then opened her mouth and allowed her tongue to slip out and lick at her cheek. Louise lost her inner battle and let the tears race down her face as she hugged Dovahkiin's muzzle to her chest.

" **Shh, it is alright little one, you don't need to cry."**

"I thought you hated me and left me permanently," Louise murmured into Dovahkiins nose. " **No little joor, I won't leave you. I will be by your side from now on, even if others don't notice,"** Dovahkiin meant every word.

"Is that why you became a maid? to stay close?" Louise murmured.

" **Not at first,"** Dovahkiin admitted, " **it was just a helpful perk."**

Louise sniffed and wiped her eyes. Dovahkiin took her head back and half turned, facing the other end of the clearing, " **Come Louise, see the world as only the Dov can."**

Louise blinked and then grinned as she strode to the dragon. "Is this your way of saying sorry?" She asked Dovahkiin.

" **Maybe."**

Louise quickly pulled herself onto Dovahkiin's shoulders, right in between her wings. Settling down she hugged the neck in front of her, "Thank you for coming back," she whispered into the scales.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Kirche liked the moons, she might be a fire mage but she always felt something special about the light from the moons. Clad in her seduction lingerie Kirche reflected on her week in their light. As said light shown down on her in her room she sighed contently, her days had been calm and happy, the only sad thing for her was that Louise had been so sad.

Not to get her wrong, she was happy if Louise was upset, she taunted her often just to make her upset, but the last few days Louise had been living with a perpetual dark cloud over her head.

She had been so sad and hurt that any taunting for the last few days had felt like kicking an abused puppy, sad, guilt ridden, and worse the Zero seemed to expect it and didn't argue as if she was punishing herself via Kirche.

The reason was obvious, her familiar was missing and the last time Kirche had seen it was when Louise had gotten in a fight with her dragon. She got up and walked to the window, she would need to do something to help the little vaillie or she might just collapse in on herself.

"WEEEE HAHAHAHA!"

A loud shout of joy broke the night and Kirche at the window was witness to the sight of one moon almost disappearing as a large lizard shape covered it from her sight.

Kirche smiled, everything would be alright, she knew that voice was Louise's and the lizard didn't have any fore legs so she must have made up with her dragon. Hoping this meant a better tomorrow Kirche went back to bed and laid down.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Tabitha was alert, sitting upright in her bed. She had a mystery on her hands that wouldn't leave her alone. Why was a dragon afraid of another? obviously the larger dragon would intimidate the smaller one, but Sylphid was completely beside herself with terror. She couldn't say why but when the dragon Dovahkiin, a talking dragon had looked at her familiar Sylphid had been instinctively afraid of her.

Just like prey would fear a predator.

The only good thing was that Dovahkiin hadn't been seen since the storm. Sylphid insisted that she was close but several searches turned up nothing at all.

A cry of joy from the window alerted her to something outside. Standing up and walking to the window she saw Dovahkiin flying, probably scaring Sylphid to no end. The shout of joy was coming from the dragon's back and Tabitha could see a flash of pink. knowing that Louise had found her wayward dragon was going to be frustrating as her presence caused Sylphid fear. Now she will have a harder time preparing for the festival.

Returning to bed Tabitha set to work thinking over her strategy on getting Sylphid over her fear and ready for the fair next week.

* * *

 **Something that you might have noticed is that I really don't like FOZ style of spells, Skyrim spells are much more powerful and are more organized.**

 **Dove easily beat Guiche because she shamed him into fighting her sword on sword and she is VERY skilled with a blade.**

 **Please help me write better by giving me helpful comments and constructive criticism, if you have a flame then please look up the "Please Please pleese get a life foundation" on youtube, they helped me and I am sure that they can help you, flamers and grammar Nazis.**


	5. Chapter 5

**SUP?**

 **I have been told that I am getting better so that's good news**

 **Familiar of Zero is an anime that bleeds** **cuteness**

 **Skyrim is a harsh unforgiving story about Dragons, gods, and empires**

 **And neither of them belong to me.**

* * *

 **Thanks to the support and encouragement people**

 **Jackalope89: Italics for thought sound like a good idea, but usually the lines of internal dialog are accompanied by the phrase he thought or she thought. Chapter length for now will remain about this long.**

 **The hoard of creatures that grows like a hive of bees,** **also known as Guest: Guiche might need all of these, yet he won't get any without first learning humility, and that is going to need to be beat into him.**

 **ANOTHER Guest: thanks for the grammar notes, I am really bad at grammar and my computer wont automatically fix those** **issues**

 **Paktu: most people choose to do this cross with their own Dovahkiin because they have a lot of control over him/her**

 **Aline1: gunslingers magic... Thank you for the better understanding of FOZ magic and the awesome image in my head.**

 **Me Myself and I: I didn't know that high elves were the Altmer and thalmor are just a supremacist group I thought they were on in the same. I also thought Orcs were their own species and had no relations to the Mer. Magic skills and titles... I kinda don't know (notice a pattern?) Count Mott is mentioned in this chapter.**

 **PEJP Bengtzone V2: minor mistake with the chef vs chief this, I suck at spelling frenchish names like Valliere, and spelling in general. 3, yes, OCs sound nice, I like an aspect of one or another that might get in my story.**

 **Jasonhavok: NO THEY AREN'T *sticks tongue out* Dragons are powerful flying lizards, and Skyrim identifyes them as dragons. (and they look cooler than four legged dragons)**

 **zaresetrubld: YES, tell me of my lore mistakes, I want to know of any and all you fins. I am the type of person who likes to read or watch the whole way through something to understand it for fear of missing things yet I simply cant do that with Skyrim and don't have time for FOZ right now so I want to be told about every single lore mistake I make.**

* * *

The next day was the day of the void that most looked forwards to, it was a day when students would get out of class and have the day free. Louise was no exception and spent the entire time in the air, soaring on the breeze with Dovahkiin. Servants got several hours off and so Dovahkiin could fly with her for hours on end.

"Hey, Dove, can I call you Dove in this shape?" Louise asked curiously.

 **"** **It doesn't matter to me, but I think others would ask uncomfortable questions if you call me Dove and the assistant chef Dove,"** Dovahkiin answered.

"Okay," Louise muttered. A second later she asked another question. "Dovahkiin, what is your home like?" The dragon shot her a glance over her wing, "I know little more about it then the fact that you called it Sky's rim, or something like that. I am curious as to what it was like."

Dovahkiin was silent for a second before replying, **"Skyrim is a land on the continent of Tamriel, it in a jagged, mountainous place. There are almost plains like area in the center that swiftly becomes sharp snowcapped peaks. It is a hard cold land where you can freeze in the middle of summer, yet it takes my breath away every time I think of the fields of glaciers and simple beauty of the small pockets of almost spring like warmth you can find hidden on the landscape."**

Dovahkiin was silent for a minuet lost in memory, **"Then there is the most beautiful event in all of the land, night. I would spend hours staying up just to look at the night sky. No one knows exactly why but the sky over Skyrim at certain times of the year would burst with color, red, green, blue, and an almost white plethora of colored streamers would dance across the stars giving everything an ethereal look."**

Louise frowned as she imagined this cold land, Dovahkiin seemed to be in love with it but 'freezing in summer?' she thought, shuddering.

"Should I get you a sword?" Dovahkiin glanced back at her questioning. Louise hurried on with her idea, "Well, it's just that you might not get the chance to turn back into a dragon, and you handled that sword in your fight with Guiche rather well, so I thought you might want a blade to use for times like that."

Dovahkiin thought about it, **"What would we tell people who are curious as to why a maid has a sword?"**

Louise grinned, "you said that Guiche will need a reminder to challenge you again, you could claim that the sword is a reminder of his challenge."

Dovahkiin thought about it, made sense to her so they might as well try.

"NO,"

Louise frowned as Dove picked up and set down another sword. They had been rummaging around in the smelly weapons shop for hours, or so it seemed. Dove often didn't have a choice about what weapons she used since she often picked them up off a dead foe, but when she got to choose she could spend hours insuring that everything felt right about the blade.

The owner was looking like he was going to have a heart attack any second now. They had picked up and discarded over twenty swords that he had brought out for them. Each one had been more magnificent and resplendent than the last, THE LAST ONE HAD BEEN MADE FROM GOLD FOR BRIMIRS SAKE! yet this woman wasn't satisfied with what she saw before her.

Walking around the woman in a maids' uniform was still digging around in a barrow, when he had brought out his easy sell to any noble, a sword of pure gold she had glanced over at it and refused it outright.

Now she pulled out the bane of his shop out and started to get a feel for it.

"Why hello there pretty lady."

Dove almost dropped the sword, the interesting looking hand guard had moved, that was probably a sign of damage, and a strange voice had come from in front of her at almost the same time. Glancing around Dove tried to find the source of the voice,

"Down here."

Looking at her hands she was surprised to see the handguard move again and a voice seemed to come out of it. "Are you talking?" Dove asked just to be sure.

"Do you see any other talking swords in the shop?" the sword asked rhetorically.

Louise moved closer to the sword, "you are a talking sword? I thought that they were all gone destroyed by time and use."

"Well, I'm still here girly. My name is Defflinger and I like the look in this one's eyes, hey partner, buy me and we will do incredible things together," the sword called out to the maid holding him.

Looking over to the store owner Dove raised an eyebrow. "He costs 100 ECU," the owner said recognizing the look of satisfaction in her eyes and praying that she would take the annoying lump of metal out of his store.

"Deal," Louise said happy of the price if a little annoyed at the tone and the 'girly' comment. Louise quickly took her leave since they didn't want others to know that they had spent the day together.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Defflinger asked as he was carried back to the academy.

"We are going to the academy and you are going in my room until I can get a proper sword belt made," Dove said smiling at the blade.

"So I don't get to grace you very nice hips with my body until you can get some protection? Fine by me," Derf said with a lewd smile in his voice.

Dove stopped and drew the blade.

SMAK!

"OW, partner what was that for?" Derf wined as he hit the stony ground. Then he gulped as Dove pulled him in close, her eyes becoming silted and dark.

"You are going to be worn across my back and won't be anywhere near my 'hips' in any way, shape or form that I can think of. So get those thoughts out of your head before I smelt you down to make a pair of daggers instead."

"Yes ma'am," Derf submitted humbly

"Now that we have that settled, there are a few things I want you to be aware of Derf," Dove said looking at the blade.

"Yes ma'am?" Derf asked

Suddenly swerving Dove ran for the trees. "WOH, partner, what's gotten into you!" shouted a surprised Derf.

"I have something to show you and I can't where everyone can see me," Dove replied as she leapt over a fallen tree.

Derf fell silent, willing to wait for this secret.

After a while they arrived at a tiny clearing. Dove stopped, "Alright partner, what is so important that you couldn't let anyone see?" Derf asked.

"Ok," Dove said as she reached for her headpiece, pulling it off she let her ears relax.

"Huh, I saw that one coming," Derf admitted 'looking' at her head.

Dove blinked, "you did?" she asked looking at the sword and rubbing the tips of her ears in surprise and relief.

"Yep, I could feel you weren't human when you picked me up," Derf boasted.

Dove started stripping, "Hey what are you doing partner!" Derf shouted as her dress fell away.

"You might have been expecting me to have pointy ears, but I will eat that strange hat thing they make us wear if you guessed this. Mul Qah Diiv!"

Derf watched awe struck as Doves body started to grow and change. Wings grew out of her arms, scales across her body, tail and horns followed quickly, finally her feet became powerful talons and her mouth turned into a muzzle and a loud growl issued from her.

"I admit I didn't see that one coming." Derf said. "So how do you become a dragon?"

 **"** **I don't know for sure, I am looking into it,"** Dovahkiin said, **"so that you know, my name is Dovahkiin, I go by Dove when I am in my bosmer shape so that people don't get suspicious of me."**

"I see," Derf said, "I will keep your secret, that is why you are showing this to me right? So that you can have someone besides pinky backing you up if people ask, I assume that she knows about this right?"

 **"** **Yes."**

"Alright, I will keep this a secret," Derf swore.

 **"** **Thank you Derf."**

Arriving back at the academy she quickly stowed Derf in her room she raced out to the kitchens to take over from Martone.

"Ah, Dove, how are you my lady?" Martone said loudly with a pat on her back.

"Fine Martone," Dove said as she recovered her balance from the very firm exuberant pat.

"Before you take over for me I would like you to take a small lunch to the headmaster, he has an important guest from the capital meeting him and as such he didn't get any lunch. Nor did miss Longueville." Martone said pointing over to a tray with three spaces set out.

"Are you sure that you just don't want to show off your food to this guest?" Dove teased and Martone smirked, "if so then I maybe I should get some of my pie."

"Now who is showing off?" Martone said with another pat on the back.

Dove smiled and place three small plates of her pie on the tray and left.

Dove knocked on the door to the headmaster's office and was answered by the secretary. "Yes? Oh Dove," she said recognizing the cook, "thank you for bringing lunch, this guy is rather dull and long winded and I can't believe that I missed you pie for this."

"Thanks miss Longueville," Dove said smiling at the other woman as she entered the office. inside the antechamber there was a desk and book shelf on one wall, on the other wall there was a table with chairs set up for the people to wait until the headmaster could see them. Lastly, on the far wall there was just a door that lead to the actual headmaster's office.

Placing one of her plates and a cups of tea on the secretary's desk Dove Walked over to the door she glanced back at miss Longueville then at the tray in her hands. "Oh, sorry," miss Longueville quickly picked up some books and reached for the door handle. As she opened the door a man in a red cape with large neck ruffles walked out. Dove blinked, this man had dark almost black hair, his side burns swished back up his face, he had a handlebar moustache, and handlebar eyebrows?

He instantly looked to the secretary, eyes a little lower than her chin. "How about we have dinner some time miss Longueville?" he asked smoothly.

Miss Longueville was confused for a second then noticed where his eyes were, "huh, oh, count Mott you flatter me, I would be honored. In fact, why not have lunch with us? Dove here just brought some with her famous pie."

"I would like to stay for lunch but I must be going, perhaps I can for dinner. However," he looked to Dove, studying her face and chest like a piece of meat, "I would love to try some of this famous pie for the road."

Dove held out her tray and count Mott quickly took up the plate with the pie. Walking towards the door, he tried a bite.

Dove set the tray of food down on the headmaster's desk, listening in on what was being said around her.

"Jerk," Longueville murmured before saying out loud. "What impossible task has the palace asked for this time?" she asked putting some books back on the shelf.

"Oh, count Mott just came by to warn-" Mr. Osmond was interrupted.

"There is a thief known as Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt," Count Mott was back, "he uses magic to steal from the nobility, rather frightening wouldn't you say miss, Dove wasn't it?"

Dove blinked not expecting to be brought into the conversation. "I, I think that any thief can be scary, magic or not."

Count Mott strode until her was just in front of Dove, "a thief like him gives all magic users a bad name," he reached forward and caressed her cheek, "If he is stealing important things from the nobility then I'm sure that he will visit here, if only to cart you off."

This man made her blood boil and made her want to wash the cheek he had touched. However, as a servant she couldn't stop him and she couldn't just transform in the office as she tried to worm her way out, "I am sure that with so many skilled mages around this Fouquet won't try anything," she reasoned.

"such a bold statement, however I am sure that I could bring you much more safety at my mansion," Count Mott said leaning in a little closer.

"Count Mott!" Osmond said loudly, breaking the scene, "I believe that you were just leaving? Didn't you say that you had several more messages to deliver today?"

Mott scowled at the interruption of his conquest, "you are right, until next time fair Dove, miss Longueville," and left.

"Ew," was all Dove said as she laid out the spread form the tray. "So who was that?"

Miss Longueville frowned and looked at the door, "that was Count Mott, he is a royal messenger, he was letting us know that there was a thief that may try and rob the academy."

"Is there really a danger?" Dove asked a thoughtful look on her face.

Osmond shook his head, "the item in question is known as the staff of destruction, it is a powerful artifact that can destroy an adult fire dragon with a single spell. The vault where it is kept is very well protected and layered with spells from many square class mages. On top of all this we do happen to have two resident dragon familiars that should cause the thief to think twice about trying to steal from us."

Miss Longueville shuddered.

Dove thought about it, stealing from under a dragon's nose was a sure fire way to get killed. As both women dwelled on their own thoughts a mouse moved out from under the table and onto Osmond's shoulder.

Osmond suddenly leaned back a sighed, "I see, she still is white cotton," Miss Longueville snapped out of her thoughts and gripped her fork with killer intent. "At least the other is lace, even if it isn't black."

Dove blinked, 'cotton? lace? what is he talking about?'

"Sir," Miss Longueville growled, Osmond froze. "If you ever have your familiar look at our underwear again I will castrate you with the nearest sharp object." Dove snapped her thighs together, blushing.

Osmond sighed and started eating. 'Why does she have to be so stuffy, this is why she still is unmarried at her age.' Dove reached down and removed the pie from his plate.

"Wait, I was going to eat that!" Osmond quickly shouted and reached for the pie only to freeze again at the dark look in Dove's eyes.

"If you never do that again then you might get the privilege of eating my pies back, but if I see your familiar within five feet of the hem of my dress then you will never eat my pies again, are we clear?" Dove asked in a very sweet voice taking a bite of the slice.

Osmond sighed in defeat.

Dove felt the cloud hanging over her head. She could feel that something was lurking just over the horizon and whatever it was she knew that it would try to crush her and force her to submit to whatever it wanted. Whatever the thing lurking on the horizon was it didn't understand that she was the dragonborn and wouldn't submit to it.

The day wasn't even over when it made its move.

"What is this?" Dove asked looking at the defeated look on Martone's face as he handed her a slip of paper.

"The royal carrier has asked for you by name to be moved to serve at his manor," Martone said looking sad.

"So this is a job opportunity, something that I can, and do, refuse," Dove said dismissively returning to the pot she had dinner cooking in. Martone's mouth dropped open, absolutely flabbergasted.

"You simply can't refuse the orders of a noble," he spluttered out.

Dove glanced up at the spluttering cook, "don't get spit in my cooking," Martone snapped upright. "As I see it," Dove continued, "he has asked for me to work at his manor right?"

Martone nodded.

"I can then refuse because it is a request, I don't have any reason to leave this kitchen, I work here, I get a good pay, and I do something that once was just a hobby but now I can enjoy as my job. I have no reason to leave."

"You don't understand," Martone said completely serious. "When some noble askes for a maid by name it is almost always to make her his mistress."

Dove froze.

"If you don't go the chances of him using his position as the royal courier to cause you difficulties. You might end up getting fired on his terms and then unable to find a job except for the one he offers you-"

CRACK!

The large wooden spoon Dove was holding snapped between her hands. "His mistress," she slowly repeated.

"Yes," Martone said staring at the spoon in surprise, "and he would use his position to get y-"

"I heard you the first time!" Dove snapped. Getting up she paced the kitchen absentmindedly throwing the broken spoon into the fire as she passed it.

Martone stood silently sorrowfully accepting the situation.

"No."

Martone blinked and looked at the woman in confusion.

"I don't have to do this, I have every reason to deny this request; I think he is creepy, you need help in this kitchen, and I have a job here that I love," Dove said. "If he will try something because I am a commoner and he is a noble then I will just have to go to another noble and preempt his attempt to remove me."

"You would go to a noble to escape getting taken by a noble?" Martone said as he tried to think his way through her logic.

"Yes."

"Who would you go to? any of them could be just as bad if not worse than Count Mott?" Martone asked.

"The headmaster, he is literally the most important mage here so he should be able to help," Dove said walking over to the stove and pulling the dinner out.

"I don't know if even he can help you," Martone said watching her work.

"We shall see."

The next morning Dove woke up and left for the headmaster's office.

A little more than halfway there she heard a voice calling out to her, "Excuse me miss but could you tell me where I might find the assistant cook?" Turning to see who had called out she saw a brown haired man in armor, a little moustache and a hint of stubble on his chin.

"I am the assistant chef, why are you looking for me?" Dove answered looking at the man who brightened up instantly.

"Ah, I was thinking that I would have to search this entire building for you," he said coming closer, up close he could see why his lord would want her.

"I am one of the guardsman of the Mott estate," he said by way of introduction, "Where are your things? I have been sent here to assist you in packing to leave for my lord's manor house."

Dove decided that he was a good guy, just had an unfortunate job. "I am sorry, is there a reason why I would be moving to this Counts manor?" Dove asked with faux confusion.

The young man blinked, confusion written on his face. "I, well, didn't you," he paused and organized his thoughts, "I am confused, did you not receive orders to prepare to leave to become my lord's maid?"

Dove smiled, this time in faux realization. "Oh yes, I did receive his offer of becoming his maid," relief spread across the man's face, and then died as she continued. "and I am sorry that you had to make a wasted trip over, but I turned it down."

"Turned it dow… You must be joking," the guard stuttered. Dove cocked her head to the side.

"Nope, I like living here and think that Count Mott is at least a little pedophilic. I chose to deny his request to have me transferred to his manor." Dove smirked at the man's face, fish had more normal looking faces then his right now at the insult to his lord.

"Now if you don't mind, I have work that I need to get to." Dove slipped past the shocked man and made to dart off when he finally composed himself enough to respond.

"Wait!" He shouted as he seized Dove by her arm. Attracting the eye of the students who were just coming around the corner.

Dove looked down at the appendage then back up to the man's paling face. "Release me now and I won't remove your hand at the elbow," Dove's voice was cold enough to be her ice shout but her eyes burned with a hellish glow.

The man let go immediately and ran down the halls almost tripping over the other maids and early risers. Dove waited until he was out of sight and darted for the headmaster's office.

Louise woke up a little late but ready for the day. She had been flying with Dovahkiin almost every day since she made up with her shape shifting companion and had dropped asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow last night.

Standing up she got dressed for the day and left for breakfast. As the meal was served she noticed that the staff was acting strange, one server almost walked into a wall with his tray.

Confused Louise looked over at the rest, all servants seemed to have some kind of dark or confused cloud over their heads as they went about their business.

"Excuse me?" She called to a nearby servant, no reaction.

"Excuse me maid." still no response. Sighing Louise reached over and pulled on the apron of the nearby maid.

Siesta jumped at the pulling on her apron, "yes!" she snapped out on reflex, "Oh, my lady I'm sorry I wasn't thinking straight."

Louise sighed, "I noticed, people seem to be lost in thought or sad, did something happen?"

Siesta sighed, downcast, "The royal courier requested that the assistant cook move to his manor and work for him."

Louise blinked, "he wanted her as a chef?" she said hopping that was the reason.

Siesta shook her head, "he asked for her by name, most nobles only do that when they want her for a mistress. Poor Dove is talking with the headmaster trying to deny Count Mott."

Louise nodded sadly, then froze at the name. "Dove? the pie baker?" She demanded looking Siesta dead in the eye and seizing the maid by the hand.

Siesta jumped and tried to take an involuntary step back at the sudden move from the noble.

"DOVE! Has been requested as Count Motts mistress!" Louise shouted, uncaring that she now had the attention of everyone in the hall.

"Y-Yes," Siesta stuttered, "That is what I just said."

Louise was already gone by the time Siesta finished talking.

"I WILL HAVE HER OR THE OTHER ONE!"

Louise froze just outside of the headmaster's office when she heard a loud shout. The voice was male and obviously full of rage.

"NO YOU WON'T HAVE EATHER!"

The voice shouting back was obviously Doves and it was just as angry as the males was. Louise pulled open the door to the antechamber and entered. The secretary was sitting at her desk with a scowl fixed firmly on her face.

"Hello miss Valliere, don't you have classes?" she asked attempting to smile brightly at the student.

Louise paused, not really having a reason to barging into the office. "I was concerned," she said lamely, "all the staff has been rather disheartened and I was surprised to hear that it was because one of the cooks was being called away. I wanted to know what has happened so far."

Miss Longueville's smile grew as Louise spoke. "That is rather nice of you," she said as she glanced at the door that had grown suspiciously quiet as they were talking.

"As far as I know," miss Longueville continued, "Count Mott has asked for one of our cooks but she doesn't want to go, and the headmaster agrees that Count Mott can't just order the cook to leave and join his staff. In response Count Mott asked for another girl from the staff he could take. Dove growled, literally growled something that seemed to make Count Mott angry. At this point they went into the office and left me out here."

SLAM.

The door opened so suddenly that the hinges gave a loud squeak, nearly breaking. Out stomped a mad Count, looking like a child that had been denied some candy. Behind him was a smirking Dove.

"I expect to see you at the field soon, and then I expect you to never leave my bed," Count Mott growled darkly.

Dove's smirk grew larger, "I expect to see you in the field and then never again," Dove hissed in return.

Stomping over to the door Count Mott slammed it open and left.

Louise looked over at her secret familiar, "What happened?" she demanded.

Dove smirked, "I am going to kick a pervert's ass," she said as she to left the room, closing the door softly behind her.

Miss Longueville and Louise shared a look and then both darted for the inner door. Inside old Osmond was smoking some rather strange pot as he let the tension ease its way out of him.

Louise didn't let him get too relaxed as she marched up and grabbed him by his robes, "What is happening with Dove?" she demanded.

"Now now Miss Valliere, I think you need to calm down," Osmond said pleadingly.

Realizing that she over reacted Louise let go of Osmond, but her hands still clenched until they became white.

Miss Longueville intervened, "Sir, what is happening? everything went quiet and both the Count and cook said some rather disturbing things, it sounded-"

"Like they were going to fight," Osmond confirmed. Now it was Miss Longuevilles turn to grab the headmaster by his robe.

"YOU LET A COMMONER FIGHT A NOBLE!?" she shouted in his face.

"She said that she could handle him and challenged the Count before I could say anything," Osmond defended. Miss Longueville set him down and gave him a look that demanded answers.

"Basically," Osmond related, "The two of them came into my office and started fighting, when I supported Doves decision to stay here Count Mott tried to get another to replace his claim of Dove. Now they are going to fight in the courtyard and if Dove succeeds then Count Mott will never ask for a person from this academy again."

Louise and Longueville knew that there had to be something at least equally bad for Dove if she lost to entice the Count to agree to this dual.

Osmond sighed and reviled what the other side was, "but if Count Mott wins then he will get both Dove and the other girl he asked for, a maid named Siesta."

* * *

 **So**

 **This is my attempt at a cliff hanger,**

 **What do you think?**

 **Please tell me about any major spelling or Lore issues you guys can find.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi guys**

 **AN FYI**

 **I am going into finals week and regular updates will be attempted but won't be guaranteed**

 **Familiar of Zero canon will remain**

 **Skyrim is a story you get to write**

 **Neither belong to me**

* * *

 **Guest: No I didn't, your just seeing things, ps the update function rulz!**

 **Helkil: Dying is to easy.**

 **Shikkokuakushintei: Breaking his mind is to hard,**

 **Public shaming is just right. Plus something to insure that ladies won't find him interesting anymore.**

 **M: Love the rhyme, What is with everyone wanting Count Mott's head on a pike?**

 **Guest: Thanks, I think what you are doing is pointing out a typo in the last chapter.**

 **Me Myself and I: Wow, that's a long review. So Dove's back story and skills...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **I really don't know**

 **I am playing Skyrim right now and basing Dove on my character in the game I am 'researching' my character for a model to base Dove off of by playing through situations as her. So far I have just joined the companions, gained the title of Arch-mage, and have had little to no contact with the thief's guild. Hopefully I was able to give enough details to give you a picture of her in this chapter.**

 **PEJP Bengtzone: I thought the {}[]{}[]{} figure would have been enough to indicate a change in scene, What do you other readers think?**

 **Drakefire: a$$ will be served**

 **MashiroNguyen: THANK YOU, I agree that many other stories have Dovahkiin as a loud Thor like smasher, like a true Nord. My Dovahkiin is more quiet, like Jorgon Windcaller, silently powerful with common sense. Plus Dove isn't very physically strong in Bosmer form, she can hold her own but relies heavily on her weapon of choice. When ever I piture her in my head I get more of a 'whipcord' type build to her.**

 **FrankZTank13: Don't assume, Count Mott could win this. Dove would need to have tripped an fallen face first on a rock, drunk, intoxicated, and sleep deprived for this to happen, but he could still win.**

* * *

Derf leaned against the wall where his partner had left him. Over and over in his head he thought back on the secrets they had discussed. 'There is something familiar about her,' he decided as he puzzled it over in his head, 'she looks like someone I knew, who was it?' The answer was on the tip of his 'tongue', he just couldn't figure it out.

his inner musings were cut off as the door to the room opened and a rather happy looking Dove entered.

Not even waiting a second, she reached for his handle. "Whoa there partner, what has you in such a good mood?" Derf asked the grinning elf.

"I need to know really quick, Derf, what do human mages use to cast spells?" She asked the now completely confused sword.

"Well, ah, I know that they use wands and staffs," Derf answered helpfully.

"Swords, Derf, do they use swords?" Dove clarified.

Derf was beginning to see where this was going. "Yes they do, I believe they are called spellswords or swordwands or something like that," he answered simply.

Dove grinned, "what about bows?"

Derf blinked, "I don't think so, I can't remember any wands used as bows."

"Pity," Dove sighed remembering her favorite dragon bone bow and arrows set.

And her dragon cult masks (they were surprisingly comfortable), and her ebony/dragonsbane sword combo. And she might as well add her blade armor while she was bemoaning her lost items.

It kind of sucked that she had lost all of these when she had been pulled here.

"Right!" Dove said breaking out of her melancholy and started humming as she walked over to her wardrobe. Pulling out all her cloths she started sifting through them.

"What are you looking for?" Derf asked as all three of Doves dresses were laid out on the bed.

"Something that can give me freedom of movement without being scandalous," Dove answered the blade.

Derf eyed the cloths, "Sorry, looks like you are out of luck there, all of these are full length and would trip you up if you tried to run in them."

Two of the dresses were maids' uniforms and the last was a slightly nicer and lower cut dress that she could wear on dat… social events. But had little else to it. Simply put Dove was missing her armor, Daedric, dragonscale, even her Stormcloak armor she had taken from her felled enemies in Helgen would be better than these.

After a moment of staring at the cloths she sighed. "I guess there is nothing else to do," she said as she reached down and pulled out a knife.

Quickly picking up her second maids uniform she sliced the lower hem until it would fall just below her knees. The neckerchief was the next to go, if fact the entire high collar was removed with her knife, and the apron was pulled off and tossed to the side. Finally, a slit was cut, but not completely cut from hem to waist alongside her hips allowing her to flex without breaking the fabric.

Pulling on a set of tight black underclothes Dove donned the cut up dress. Stretching Dove smiled as she could now keep her full range of monument and cover her body from perverted eyes.

As she tied her head piece back into place her door slammed open and a terrified Siesta burst into the room.

Shock at her cloths stopped her for a second before she burst out, "You're going to fight a noble!"

Dove smiled as she picked up Derf. "Yep," she said in a bubbly tone of voice.

Siesta just stared at the unfazed girl before bursting out again, "you can't do it, he will defeat you and you will get hurt, if not killed."

Dove smile grew as she pictured the scene in her head, "OR, I could beat him into a shallow grave and spit on his remains."

"You won't win Dove. Please just give him what he wants and let us move on with our lives," Siesta tried pleading with the other maid.

Dove finally lost her smile, Siesta wanted it back the moment it left as Dove fixed her with a cold glare. "Give up," Dove murmured, "Give him what he wants? He wants us to warm his bed like a pair of whores. He wants us to submit to him day in and day out for his pleasure."

Dove turned up the glare until it could almost burn, "I have a chance to get us out of his attempts to snare us ever again. I am going to fight and I am going to win. Unless you like him debasing you for his pleasure?" Her voice grew mocking towards the end, "If you do, then you can make your own arrangements, but leave me out."

Siesta trembled at her tone. "But he has magic," she murmured, "you would be killed or defeated and belong to him anyway, why should we fight if all that is going to happen is we get hurt before he takes us?"

Dove growled like an animal causing Siesta to flinch. Flames suddenly burst from Doves hands and ran along the length of Derflinger. "Magic is a tool," Dove said tonelessly ignoring Siestas shocked face, "a tool that I can and will use on him."

Her piece said, Dove left the trembling girl.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

'She couldn't have known,' Dove argued with herself as she made her way from the back of the academy to the largest field.

Part of her was angry with Siestas defeatist views, it growled in her head and called the other maid shameful things. The rest of her analytically realized that this is the way that commoners act towards nobles.

She knew that each opinion was some part or aspect of herself, the majority of the analytical mind was from her time as the Arch-mage of the college in Winterhold. She had spent her time there ever since she had killed that stupid, slimy, Thalmor Ancano, not learning as much magic as she probably should have, but instead she learned how to understand people.

This entire situation reeked of slavery and oppression. This is what angered her other side, the part that called for blood.

She had gained this part of herself while she in the company of the companions. Their entire attitude had impressed her and she had grown to like most of them since she joined. On this matter what was expected was clear, lots of pain for the _**Firok!**_

These two parts of herself were in conflict with each other on this matter. The part grown in the College recognized this as the lands natural state, the way things were. The companion's side wanted to take the head of the person who made things this way and shove it up a troll's rear.

The only part that they both could agree to was the fact that she would now make the Count eat his words, if not his teeth.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Louise, Guiche, Momorency, Tabitha, and Kirche stood together, all of them had insisted on being there to watch the fight. Louise had claimed that Dove was a friend of hers and that was why she was there; the rest had claimed the same but really they were there to either annoy Louise or watch the fight up close.

Nearby the towers that held students in class were also packed with inattentive pupils who had found the scene outside on the sunny lawn much more interesting than their teacher's words.

Outside Kirche shifted from foot to foot, even Tabitha's ability to just pick up a book and be off in her own world was running thin. "When are they going to get here?" Kirche groaned as the fifth minute passed them by.

"There," Tabitha said pointing to the far side of the field where Count Mott was approaching the empty space in the center.

In the middle of the field was Osmond who had reluctantly agreed to referee the event if only to stop Count Mott from seriously hurting his cook.

"Well?" Count Mott demanded as he arrived at the center, "where is she? Have I frightened her off already?"

Louise stiffened at his words, "You big bully, she is not afraid of you!"

Count Mott spared the little girl a glance, "to bad you are so flat, or I might have wanted to add you to this conquest."

Louise grew red and fire could almost be seen bursting from her mouth as she roared unintelligibly at the arrogant man.

"Count Mott," Osmond said in a rebuking tone, "I will have you know that she is only sixteen, and the third daughter of the Valliere family, you can't treat her so vaguely."

"My apologies," the Count said in a tone that didn't mean it.

They only had to wait another five minutes. Every single one of them was punctuated by Count Motts grumbling.

Dove came around the main tower of the academy and onto the field.

"I was hoping to get you out of your cloths," Count Mott mocked her attire, "If all it took was challenging you then I would have done it earlier."

Dove ignored him, drawing and leveled her sword. "Osmond."

"Right," Osmond said walking into the middle of the two combatants. "This is a fight for the possession of two servants of the academy. If Count Mott incapacitates his opponent," Here his voice grew mocking and disapproving, "An eighteen-year-old female cook. Then he gets her and the maid Siesta."

Looking over at the cook, Osmond continued, "If Dove, the assistant cook, incapacities the noble Count Mott, then he must give up his claim for them both and never ask for another servant from this academy again."

Count Mott sneered at the requirement if he losses, "Ready for your defeat?"

Dove smirked at his words, "your defeat, not mine. I expect to see you gone as soon as you can pick your teeth up off the ground."

Count Mott pulled his wand, "I will let you have one final warning, I am Count Mott, known also as Mott the wave, I wield the most powerful magic of water. Submit now and I won't hurt you."

Dove snorted, "Water, the oh so powerful wet stuff. Are you ready to lose?"

Count Mott gritted his teeth, seething inside at the disrespect to his element, "I will enjoy wiping that look off your face."

Throwing his wand forwards, a goblet of water rose out of a nearby well. The water twisted around in the air and started circling around the mage.

Dove's smile just grew bigger. Lifting Derf she pointed him at the noble, "Water, wet, highly conductive." Feeling inside for the well of Magicka she let it course its way through her body and out her arms.

Lightning snapped across the open air towards the noble, who was frozen in complete shock. He didn't move until to late as he was electrocuted through the water he had summoned.

"Wow, I really didn't think you were so weak," Dove mused at the man twitching on the now muddy ground.

After thirty seconds of watching the man lay and moan she glanced at Osmond. "Can I assume that this means I win?" Dove asked.

Osmond shook his head trying to suppress his surprise, "I, think so unless Count Mott can get up."

Count Mott upon hearing this rolled onto his chest and pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. Spitting blood from his bitten tongue he stood up facing the girl-brat who hurt him.

"So," he began condescendingly, "A fallen noble, admittedly a powerful one if you can use lightning, but still a disgrace to your family name. Tell me are you a criminal who was punished by being stripped of her status, or are you someone's bastard?"

Dove remained impassable as the hurt man ranted. "Yes, you look like a whore. I can see it now your mother was some upstart who laid herself out like a meal for the delights of some noble and you were the result. Now you work at this academy hoping to be recognized as legitimate and taught how to use your ill begotten magic," looking at Doves dress he smirked, "and yet you are already following in your mother's footsteps. Isn't that right?"

Dove smiled coldly at the man's words. Osmond stepped in, "Count Mott, you will hold your tongue." Count Mott straightened and glared at the old school teacher, a look of hate on his face as Osmond continued, "it is unbecoming to cast aspersions on the young lady-"

"Be quiet Osmond."

Osmond gaped at Dove as it had been her that had spoken instead of Count Mott. Dove moved closer, "nothing we say will make him see, he is consumed by his arrogance. You said that if he got up then this fight would continue, now be silent and move out of my way."

Osmond made to stop the woman but hastily retreated as she swung her sword at him.

"Hey, Pervert," Dove called to the shaking count. "I have traveled long and far in my life, I have left my home county and come to these foreign lands. I just want you to know," she grinned at him, "where I am from, every person from the lowest street urchin to the high queen herself, have the ability to use magic."

Count Mott blinked, a land where everyone was a mage? impossible; noble were made by their magic, they needed it to keep the commoners in line. "Since everyone can use magic," Dove continued pacing forward, "we found that skill with magic didn't mean squat. I hold the title of thane among my people, I gained that title by learning many skills. many people instead focus on other skills to develop apart from magic."

Mott apparently couldn't react in the full two seconds Dove gave him as she ran forwards hilt striking the pompous fool, laying him out flat again.

"Like sword play."

Mott pushed himself back onto his feet and thrust his wand out, "WAVE!"

Dove dogged to the side as a burst of water impacted the ground where she had stood. Mott curse himself for picking a place with so little water to work with. He had expected an easy victory but that outcome was looking further away with every second.

Dove rushed him again but Mott was ready, flicking his wand to the side he sent a bubble of water crashing into Dove from just behind her. Dove fell, a hand instantly reaching for her shoulder as she felt for damage.

Little damage, the water was hitting like a blunt instrument and lots of energy was being lost in wind resistance, it would bruise but that should be all.

Taking the distraction Mott twisted the remaining water around him and formed small swords of ice, sending them shrieking towards the downed maid.

She rolled, dodging the barrage.

Rising from the ground Dove smirked. Tapping back into her magicka supply she allowed the feeling of cold to enter her arms and knew she had won. Ice vapor rose from Derf and he loudly complained about the cold as an icicle burst from the swords tip.

Mott squealed in pain as the icicle skewered his forearm. His hand going limp and dropping his wand on the ground.

Dove was in motion as the first sound left his throat. By the time he had clutched the unnaturally cold impalement to his chest she was at his side, giving Mott a slice across his face. Then settled Derf against his neck, held as if to give him a low shave.

"I won," Dove stated. Count Mott kept on squealing and clutching his arm, blinded by the blood leaking into his right eye. Dove got bored of his screams and punched Mott in the head, the glancing blow twisted his head to the side sending Count Mott into the realm of unconsciousness.

Osmond blinked at the barbarically brutal way Count Mott was made to stop. Quickly he rushed forwards, only beaten by Louise who had ran forwards as soon as Mott had fallen to the ground.

"DOVE! YOU STUPID IDIOT! WHY DID YOU FIGHT A NOBLE AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO USE MAGIC?" Louise let out with a screech.

Dove blinked and looked at the student like she was crazy, "I needed to fight because your country lets scum like him get away with 'requesting' people under him as servants for his pleasure, and I have always been able to use magic."

Louise looked shame faced. "You didn't have to fight him, you could have become my servant, my maid and then he couldn't have touched you," she said quietly.

Dove smiled and gave the little mage a hug, "but what about Siesta? Could you have made every person that this pervert," she nudged the still form of Count Mott, "asks for your servant?"

Louise frowned, "no that would most likely be impossible, but I could have stopped him from getting you."

Dove placed her hand under Louise's chin and lifted it up until they were eye to eye. "What good would it do if I was saved but others had to take my place? This way I got him to leave everyone in this academy alone without buying him off, becoming responsible for every person inside, or killing him." She grinned a little, "plus with his face scared there is little chance that he will be able to get anyone else to willingly serve him, unless he pays them properly."

Louise sighed, "just don't do something so stupid again, okay?"

Dove looked off into space, apparently deep in thought. "Nope," she decided suddenly cheerful, "I will always try and help out, so I can't promise that."

"Ahem!" A clearing throat interrupted Louise's blooming angry retort.

Dove looked to the side to meet the intense gaze of both Osmond and directly behind him, Tabitha.

"Yes?" Dove asked with a smirk, expecting that she would need to lie her way out of this one.

Osmond walked up, "I have some questions and I would like to have some plain answers to them," he said.

"Same," Tabitha stated.

"Are you sure that this is an okay place to talk?" Dove asked looking around at the towers and the students who were clustered around the windows.

Osmond looked at the windows, "they are far enough away that they won't be able to hear us, now could you please tell us why you are a maid if you can use magic? Also in combat you said that where you come from everyone can cast spells, where are you from?"

Dove smirked awkwardly. "That's a little hard to explain," she started hesitantly as she frantically thought for an excuse. 'Start with something safe,' she thought, "my people have always been able to use magic, everyone from the highest to the lowest can use it but many don't have either the time or money, or passion to go to a magic school so they just don't learn any spells."

Osmond frowned, although you could hardly tell with his hair in the way. "Where do you come from then? No country that I have heard about has an entire population as mages," he asked looking Dove square in the eye.

'crap'. "I don't really know either," Dove said the first thing to come to her mind.

"Oh?" Osmond said, unblinking as he scrutinized Dove.

"Yes, I was traveling. I have traveled for most of my life, on this particular journey I noticed a dragon in the sky." Dove hoped that the idea that she just had would work, "I naturally panicked and ran, I was sure that the dragon was following me and I was right, I got picked up in its talons. At first I screamed because I thought I was going to be eaten, then I screamed because I thought I was going to fall."

Dove frowned looking both frightened and thoughtful. Internally praying to Talos that they buy her act and lie. "Suddenly everything vanished and colors were streaming past, I saw sights that couldn't exist together, flashes of trees and mountains and oceans all flowing as one. The sight must have surprised the dragon as well because it released me and I fell."

Matching Osmond's look Dove finished up, "I landed in an unfamiliar forest and walked to the nearest town, there I discovered that I was in a land I have never heard about before. From there I walked back to the woods hoping to find information on how I got here, got caught in the rain and sought refuge in the academy where I got the assistant cook job to pay for my needs."

'Brilliant, just hope they buy it,' Dove thought.

Osmond was wondering if Dove was slightly crazy.

Tabitha was thinking there should be more to the story, Dove was obviously leaving things out. 'Where did this dragon come from? Does she mean Dovahkiin? Does Dovahkiin eat people?' The last was a little out of place with the others but had grown on her, 'Could Louise's dragon hurt people?'

Dove started sweating as the silence grew.

Finally, Osmond sighed, "I don't think I have heard a story like that before."

Dove smiled, wishing that her trembling wasn't noticeable. "Well it's what happened," she said.

"Right," Dove said snapping out of her fear and ducking a quick curtsy to the assembled group, "I have lunch to prepare, goodbye my lords and ladies."

Dove all but darted away from them, disguising the need to flee as a purposeful stride. She slumped against the wall as soon as she was out of sight. That was to close.

Osmond sighed as Dove left, turning to his students he fixed them with a look, "you all claimed that you are her friends, did she mention where she was from with any of you?"

All of them exempt Louise shook their heads. Louise raised her head, "I didn't hear it from Dove, but Dovahkiin said that she had seen her just before I summoned her here." 'might as well play along and help her,' Louise thought to herself.

Osmond frowned, "what worries me is that Dove claimed to have been picked up by a dragon. It must have been Dovahkiin, but that asks the question, why did your familiar attack her?"

Louise paled, she had no answer for that.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Dove swung by her room and changed into her regular uniform before making her way to the kitchens.

Opening the door, she was greeted by the sight of Martone ordering people around, making lunch. "I think you are adding too much sugar, are you trying to fatten the students up for dinner?" Dove teased as she came farther in the room.

Martone jumped and looked around at her voice. "I didn't think we would be seeing you here again," he said looking at the young woman.

Dove blinked and cocked her head, "why not? this is my job."

Martone went back to watching at the sweet rolls he was preparing. "Siesta came by a few minutes ago and told us that you are a mage, as a noble it wouldn't be right for you to work among us commoners."

Dove walked up and smacked him on the back of his head, "OW, what was that for?" Martone cried out as he reached up and rubbed his head.

Dove quickly butted him out of the way and got to work on the sweet rolls, talking the entire time, "I am a traveler from afar off land. There everyone can use magic, from the highest to the lowest. Because everyone can do it no one really cares or pays it any attention and we find value in the pursuit of other skills. I am a cook, I can cast spells, I can wield a sword, and I can sing like a bard. Take a guess at which skill I value more than all the others?"

Martone just stared for a minute and then burst into tears, "you, you truly value cooking over magic?" he sobbed hugging his assistant cook to his chest.

"Aye, I can light things on fire with magic but I can't provide for my basic needs without learning how to cook. I also needed to learn how to prepare a hind of venison while I was traveling," Dove answered calmly ignoring the shaking chef.

Martone sucked in his breath and calmed down, "you make me very proud."

Dove smiled and glanced at the cook, "thanks."

"..."

"So you can sing?"

"...You are not going to get me to sing for you."

"Please?" Martone begged clasping his hands.

Dove's eyebrow twitched, "you know, I actually do like magic more than cooking."

"NO," Martone cried dramatically.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Tabitha paced her room. Her thoughts were flying around her head, every single thing she knew about the dragon Dovahkiin was sent spinning inside her.

'Dove said that she was attacked by a dragon, that was teleported from where they were to here. Dovahkiin was the only dragon summoned around this time apart from my own and I know she didn't do anything.'

Tabitha tried to remember every single second that she could remember watching Dovahkiin. The arrival by summoning was surprising but she had taken her new situation very well if a tad confrontationally. The next time she had seen Dovahkiin the dragon had been standing over, scratch that, leering at Sylphid.

'Why was Dovahkiin leering at the smaller dragon?' Tabitha recalled what Sylphid had said at the summoning ritual. 'She was afraid and couldn't understand why.'

Dovahkiin looked at Sylphid like she was prey. That realization scared Tabitha, 'could Louise have summoned a cannibal dragon? Could have Sylphid been afraid of getting eaten by a superior dragon?'

'Was Dovahkiin even a dragon? Maybe she was some sort of animal that had grown to hunt and eat dragons.' That could explain why she looked a lot like a dragon yet have many differences, and it would also explain why Dovahkiin had been leering at Sylphid. It would explain why Sylphid was instinctively afraid of Dovahkiin. Finally, it could also explain why Dovahkiin was able to hide from Sylphid when they went flying together. She was hunting Sylphid.

Tabitha walked to the panicked at the idea that Sylphid might be attacked and eaten by the larger dragon looking monster Louise had summoned.

"No, I won't allow her to hurt you," Tabitha said to the image of Sylphid in her head. She had lost her mother; she wouldn't lose her familiar as well.

* * *

 **I don't know why but I feel like I have worked through some type of tension or frustration while writing this chapter.**

 **What ever will Tabitha do now?**

 **On another note I just thought up, What would happen if Dovahkiin ate Sylphid?**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'M ALIVE!**

 **I have finished this terms Finals and soon will know how I did on them.**

 **hallelujah**

 **Familiar of Zero is owned by a person that I should look the name up.**

 **Skyrim is part of a franchise of games.**

 **I want to own both but don't have the money/blackmail to do so.**

* * *

 **Someone PMed me about giving a shout out to each others stories,**

 **I read the one he was talking about and agree that it would be a good idea to shout out**

 **SO**

 **Boyzilla has written a story where Louise summons a dragon, I suggest you guys read it because it is really cool even to me and I haven't played the game that he crossed the story with.**

 **Random other shout out;**

 **I suggest that anyone who has played Prototype read DragonlordRynn's story, In this strange place. The only Lord of the Rings Prototype cross over, and a rather good one at that.**

* * *

 **Alexkehling: Thanks for giving me four reviews, going chapter by chapter really helped me understand what you were thinking as you read my work.**

 **Helkil: Part where she says she is a demi-god... well, dragons are parts of Akatosh, they literally are part god and the dragonborn is also part god so I think that count for the demigod title.**

 **Drakefire: Nothing drastic? (6) :), both the Yahoo! messenger and the Windows Live Messenger devil emojis are laughing at this comment.**

 **OSDStitch: Sorry but I'm going to have to agree with another reviewer about what would happen if Dovahkiin eat Syphid. I'm not using mods for my Skyrim.**

 **Diggin: NO CHERRY PIE EUPHEMISM! FOZ is light and fluffy, making it fun to add darker atmosphere and such. Thank you for the help on magic and Foci. Mott basically will never get a girl now that Dove has scarred his face. The more I learn about elves the better I understand the whole story of FOZ so thanks for that. Finally, Tabitha has been alone since her mother was rendered insane, she simply won't let anyone help her or ask for help if she needs it. thinking about it I have to agree that eating Syphid would only give her indigestion and a guilty conscious.**

 **PEJP Dengtzone V2: It is totally funny... not that I remember what is supposed to be funny, but if I said it then is must be funny :)**

 **Aline: Agreed.**

 **DrSB: I read a FOZ Skyrim cross where that happened and liked the idea so I borrowed it a little. Thanks I enjoyed writing the cooks interaction with Dove.**

 **GrimKid98: YES MY LIFE IS A LITTLE MORE COMPLETE! I got someone to face palm. Tabitha drew a worst case scenario, she will now need evidence.**

 **xXxjfreed21xXX: I don't think I can physically create chapter babies, image in head not- BAA!**

 **Guest: If I can call you Toast then why don't you just get an account and name it toast? Anywho, how effective would the change be if it was more ceremonious? people would notice otherwise. Next thanks for the grammar and spelling advice, I have gone back and gone over my mistakes a little. I do take my time, but I have schedule I like to keep. Do you really think that I don't have enough description? I think that I have enough to at least more the story along.**

 **EEVEESPEON: Heres the chapter you asked for, I won't have Dovahkiin eat anyone...**

 **Yet.**

 **Northernotaku: I love the fact that you studied Dovahzul. :}**

* * *

Louise hummed at dinner, Dove was standing close by serving cake to a pair of students that seemed to be trying to get the cake from her without coming within five feet of her…

On a completely unrelated note the sword is only effective within five feet of the wielder, but deadly within that range.

Ever since Dove had beaten the Count in combat she had become a thing of awe to most of the students, and fear to a few others. Nobody could figure out why only Louise didn't really care and was always calm in her presence.

Finally, able to get the cake they wanted, the students pulled away from her slightly slower than a horse could gallop. Dove sighed as she scared another student away, if she was being honest with herself then she would admit that she hated it when people feared her. She could take people hating her, her own people (technically since they ruled the Mer) the Thalmor had hated her almost on principle when she had embraced the Nords lifestyles.

The worst events of her life had always been when someone had been afraid of her and either attacked her, forcing her to fight them or run. Maybe she should have left Derf in her room, but since her fight she had taken to wearing Derf across her back ready for anything.

Picking up her tray she shot a glance at Louise and then left. As she left Dove didn't notice the little girl who got up and followed her.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

The servant quarters were next to the kitchens and despite the closeness of the two rooms, people would occasionally get lost in the patchwork of halls that connected the two areas and the dining hall. Dove unfortunately got lost again as she tried to make her way back to her own room after dinner was done.

"I can find my way through draugr infested catacombs but can't find my quarters from the dining hall?" Dove grumbled under her breath rounding another corner.

Finding herself at a complete dead end she sighed and turned around, 'well, I did end up at dead ends in those tombs as well,' she thought ruefully turning back and retracing her steps.

"Wait."

Dove jumped a little as a voice from the corner she had just passed called out to her. Going back, she found herself facing a short blue hared girl. "Why, miss Tabitha," Dove said with a curtsy, "how might I be of assistance?"

"Dragon questions," Tabitha said with her usual soft monotone.

Dove blinked, "well, I, I don't know much about dragons' miss. I would think that you would know more than me since you summoned one. Is your dragon hungry or in need of care?"

Tabitha shook her head, "Your dragons, tell me."

Dove started to get uneasy, "tell, you, about my dragons? My lady, I don't have dragons, only you and miss Louise have summoned dragons."

Tabitha shook her head again, "your type of dragons."

Dove frowned, "my type, OH, you want to know about dragons from where I come from?"

Tabitha nodded this time.

Dove looked away, "well, the thing is miss Tabitha, the things said about dragons by my people sounds a lot like heresy to people in this land, I don't want to offend you and get in trouble for it."

Tabitha frowned, "answer please. No trouble," she lifted her hand and placed it consolingly on Doves forearm.

"Well," Dove said looking around, "they say that the god of time, Akatosh, made dragons in his image from fragments of his own power, that they can call upon the powers of Akatosh and literally shout the world into submission, that is why dragons don't often talk, they accidently cause cataclysms when they try and talk normally."

Tabitha nodded at her words, instead of truly listening she was softly probing with her fingers, there were ridges on the cook's arms, 'scars?' Tabitha wondered. Suddenly unable to contain her curiosity she pushed up on the cook's sleeve. Dove gasped and pulled away from the small noble, pulling her sleeve down and blushing a little in shame.

Tabitha had seen enough for her purposes, the scars were large, the biggest about the size of a new gold coin and arranged in a narrow oval shape. They looked like teeth marks. Some large cats had such teeth but their jaws were not nearly as long as the young woman's entire forearm and beyond.

"Dragon marks?" Tabitha asked, an intense look on her face as she watched for any reaction from Dove.

Dove turned away completely, hiding her arm. "yes," she admitted, "dragons are powerful creatures of magic and used to rule the land of Skyrim, my adopted homeland. Centuries ago they were defeated and peace came to the land, only a little while ago dragons started to return and fight for dominance over the land."

Dove was getting good at making things up on the spot, even if what she said was technically true she was proud that she was able to keep herself out of the story.

"Dragons evil?" Tabitha asked, 'if they are evil then Dovahkiin really could be a danger to others,' she thought.

Dove immediately shook her head, "not all of them," she said turning and looking at the noble student, gaining her full attention.

"Dragons are powerful, they have strong dominant personalities and they won't let go of what they have claimed, but none of these instinctually make them bad." Tabitha tilted her head looking at the cook with uncertainty in her eyes.

"Why'd Dovahkiin attack you?" She asked.

Dove blinked, "I don't know, maybe I wandered into her territory. I have never heard of a female dragon until I was picked up by one but I know that most female birds are more territorial then the males, I think the same would apply to dragons." She was making most of this up but it seemed to please the noble in front of her.

"I see," she said. She hadn't thought about territorial issues when thinking about Dovahkiin before. 'Could she just be staking her claim to the area and trying to frighten Syphid off?' She thought.

"Do dragons fight often?" She asked.

Dove thought back on what her friend Paarthurnax had told her about dragons. "Not unless they think that they are more powerful than the other fighter. When they fight the winner eats the loser and it is said that they gain the powers from this."

That might have been reassuring if Dove hadn't mentioned the last part. "Dovahkiin will attack Syphid," Tabitha murmured too low for Dove to hear and walked off, lost in her own thoughts.

Dove watched the retreating students back. Something told her that this was going to cause problems for her. Sighing she left the cross way before remembering that she was hopelessly lost.

"Dove!" A voice called out to the Bosmer. Turning down the hall Dove saw that it was Siesta.

"Hi, Siesta, thank goodness I found you, I still can't find my way around this area," Dove said as she came closer. "You wouldn't happen to know where to find my room from here would you?" Dove asked as she finally got close.

Siesta smiled and nodded, "Yes, you go left, first right down a stair, straight past three rooms then right and your room should be the one at the end of the hall."

"... I think I remember most of that," Dove sweat dropped.

"You can find it, but I was sent to let you know that the headmaster wants to talk to you," Siesta said.

"Oh?" Dove asked, "why would he want to see little old me? apart from eye candy reasons?"

Siesta shook her head, "well, you are a mage, maybe he wants to know more about your style of magic. From what I heard you left rather quickly after you beat up the royal courier."

Dove dropped her head, "I did that because I don't want people to ask about it, it is a rather hard topic for me."

Siesta frowned, worried that she had said something wrong, "Why is it hard for you? Did something happen?" She asked quickly.

Dove shook her head, "no, no. I just noticed that magic in this land seems to be rather different than the kind used back home. I simple don't think I know enough to satisfy them."

Siesta smiled, "basically anything you tell them would satisfy them."

Dove rolled her eyes, "fine, I will be there."

"Good," Siesta said starting to leave.

"Siesta," Dove said hesitantly, watching for the others reaction.

"Yes Dove?" Siesta asked confused at the sudden turn in Doves mood.

"How are you feeling? I think I was kind of hard on you when you were trying to stop me from facing Count Mott. Did I offend you?"

Siesta thought about it. "A little," she admitted. "but what you said was right and true," she quickly said as Dove's face fell. "I was giving up without a fight and letting that pervert have his way with me, you were right to fight him, thanks to you I'm not being used until I get pregnant and thrown aside, or until he got bored with me. Thank you for fighting when I wouldn't"

"Thanks for that Siesta," Dove said smiling, "it makes me feel better about what I did."

"Your welcome. You should get to the headmaster. Do you know the way to his office?"

"No,"

*Snigger* "Follow me."

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

In the headmaster's office, Osmond was going through another pile of paperwork that his secretary simply couldn't do because it required the handling of a master negotiator who had more authority then the simple secretary. It didn't have anything to do with his familiar ending up under her desk again yesterday around late evening.

Osmond frowned as he leafed through another request form from the servants. "Lord Osmond? The cook you wanted to talk to is here," the voice of his secretary called from the antechamber.

Looking up he called, "Send her in."

Dove entered, noticing the pile of papers in front of the old man she smirked, "What did you do to get sent to this type of damnation?"

Osmond straightened, a neutral look on his face, "Absolutely nothing, I am simply the best person for the job of looking into these weighty matters."

"uh hu," Dove hummed as she looked over at the papers, smirk growing as she read the papers. "You do know that this paper is dated for two years ago? The request is no longer required, it looks like someone just erased your name from an old document to give you a hard time."

Osmond blinked and looked back at the papers. She was right.

"I'm sure it's just a misprint," he said quickly casting a quick glare at the secretary who just smirked without looking up from her own (smaller) pile of papers.

"On another note," Osmond said finally looking away from Miss Longueville, "I want to know about you. You have shown that you can use magic, in our land this would make you nobility yet in your fight with Count Mont you claimed that where you are from everyone could use magic. That it meant nothing to you so you were forced to learn other skills as well. I want to offer you the chance to learn from our prestigious academy, to be able to grow your magical abilities to match those of a true noble."

Dove blinked, absolutely not expecting this. 'Do I want to learn about this lands magic?'

"I noticed in your fight," Osmond continued, "you used water and air type spells in your fight. While they were impressive and powerful I can't help but wonder if they are the only spells you know, it isn't uncommon for a mage to see their parents use a spell and try to mimic its effects. If you join we can teach you many more uses for your talents."

"What would it mean if I accept your offer? What would I need to do?" Dove asked.

Osmond smiled, "only that you attend classes and do the learning work of a student. I would personally be willing to teach you what you need to learn to get up with some of the older classes."

"May I have a day to think this over?" She asked buying time.

Osmond nodded, "Of course you may, I hope that you will consent to join us and allow us to help you learn more about your powers."

Dove smirked, "you really want me in your school if your pushing this hard."

Osmond smiled, "yes, I think that it would be for the best for all of us if you learn all you can."

"I will think about what you said," Dove said with a quick curtsy and left.

As the door closed behind the magic servant, the secretary stood up and walked to the headmaster. "Dove might be powerful but she is older than practically every other student in the academy, if she started now she would have to go to a first year class; we hardly know anything about her, and she is from a faraway land, how must she be feeling when she got basically kidnapped," the secretary paused to gage her superiors' reaction. "Each of these is a good reason for her not to agree to this, so why did you even offer? This is a school for nobles, she has claimed to have no noble blood."

Osmond smiled, "Dove is still a young girl, I am confident that she can learn easily enough to catch up with an older classes. I expect to learn more about her by teaching her about magic. Finally, she hasn't shown any really negative emotions from her journey here. If she hasn't shown anything by now, then I don't expect there to be any coming."

Miss Longueville frowned, those were valid arguments but there had to be more reason than just a desire to bring out her skills. "What are you thinking Osmond, you aren't telling me everything aren't you, and this still is a school for nobility alone."

Osmond shook his head, "it all comes down to the fight with Count Mont, she was using spells nonverbally. Spells as powerful as ice spears require at least a little incantation by a triangle class mage, and her lightning spell, that type of magic has almost always eluded the understanding of air mages for hundreds of years, she cast it also nonverbally. She would need to be at least a square class air mage to have such an understanding about air to make lightning."

Osmond then gave the information he observed that had put him most on edge, "yet she doesn't care about magic, if she doesn't care too much about it then this could be a sign that where she came from is full of mages so powerful that such spells are common. IF she learns here she might also marry into nobility, adding her magical strength to the country."

Miss Longueville placed her hand on her chin and thought about this out loud, "so you want to learn about her land and possibly the spells that they have, that is why you offered one on one teaching. This could be a great boon for us as we learn as much as we can from this girl and not a lot is lost if it turns out to be a dead end. "

Osmond smiled as his secretary puzzled his intentions out, "exactly."

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Dove walked down the tower stairs, her mind as twisted as the gesus hinskaal hallway.

Suddenly she stopped, 'Gesus hinskaal? (bloody stupid), why was I thinking in Dovahzul?" she wondered before shaking her head, "great now I'm thinking in a language I only know a few words of, how did this happen?'

Dove stood on at the end of the stairs, looking ahead but seeing within herself instead of what lay before her. Whenever she thought of herself she had at first seen a Bosmer bard. Her chosen profession before she had become the dragonborn. Later when she had pictured herself she had seen an enchanted iron armored women, and magic user.

Now her identity, her sense of self, was almost overlaid with the image of a dragon, she knew that it was herself yet she couldn't think of when she had started thinking of herself as a dragon. "Fos fin Sovngarde," she murmured in exasperation.

She sighed as she realized what she had said, more Dovahzu'l.

"Dove!" Dove tried to ignore the Deja vu as a voice called to her from down a hall. This time it was Louise.

"Hello Louise, do you need something?" Dove asked as Louise approached.

"Come with me," Louise demanded as she grabbed Doves arm without waiting for her familiar's answer.

"Whoa, wait," Dove said as she was dragged down the halls and into an empty room. "Okay, we're in a dusty room, now what happened?"

Louise glanced out the door, "I needed to talk to you as Dovahkiin."

Dove smiled as she sat down and looked at Louise, "alright, what is so important?"

"The headmaster wants me to get Dovahkiin so that he can talk to you about something important. He asked specifically for you to be there but he didn't want me," Louise and Dove frowned at this, "he said that he had a lead on what type of dragon you were and that certain private information would be asked and that you might not want me there for it."

Dove leaned her head to the side, "that sounds like an exceptionally weak excuse to get alone with me, you don't think he is being perverted again, do you?"

Louise started to get red, "DON'T YOU DARE START THINKING LIKE KIRCHE!" she shouted. "And besides," she added as an afterthought, "he asked for Dovahkiin the dragon, not Dove the maid so I don't think there is anything perverted about it."

Dove smiled, a dark smutty smile, "you know there is a song about a human and a dragon getting it on together."

Louise paled, "I don't want to know about it,"

Dove smirked, "they wrapped niist zaar kenlokus fin dovah koreidin ahrk sucked erei nust ediin kroslen," she sang.

Louise blinked, "what did you say?"

Dove smiled, "you might not want a translation, so where and when am I supposed to meet with Osmond?"

Jumping a little out of her thoughts on what Dove might have said Louise stuttered, "wha- you want to meet with him? What if they have figured out that you are an elf? What if its dangerous?"

"I doubt that they have made the connection between my accidental sighting and a dragon they haven't seen before." Dove frowned, "That sounded less likely in my head, anyway, I can at least fight my way out of a trap," she said rather arrogantly.

Defeated Louise sighed, "they want to meet just beyond the wall in the woods, he said that you had met there before, he wants to talk in an hour."

Dove smiled, "that should work for me," she said as if she hadn't just possibly walked into a trap.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

The moon was just cresting the tops of the trees when Dove arrived at the clearing. looking around she noticed that she was alone, 'Good,' she thought as she quickly stripped. Shouting her painful shape-shifting ability, she waited.

About ten minutes later the headmaster entered the clearing with Professor Colbert.

 **"** **Drem yol Lok, Old Osmond and professor Colbert, why have you asked for me?"** Dovahkiin asked.

Osmond looked at the dragon, noting that her talons were clenching the ground under her in wary anticipation. "Straight to the point I see. I have two reasons for calling you here; the first is a question that I need to have answered if the second reason is to be asked."

Dovahkiin tilted her head, thinking over the strange requirements of the old mage. **"I will answer your question, Osmond,"** she eventually said.

Osmond let out a breath of relief and then launched into his inquiry. "One of our staff mentioned that she was attacked by a dragon and that dragon was then summoned here by magic. I assume that you were this dragon and my question is why did you attack her?"

Dovahkiin flexed her wings and growled, looking the part of an angry dragon, **"She crossed into my territory. She had no right to be there and might have attacked me, so I was removing her when I was summoned."**

Osmond raised an eyebrow thinking over her response. "So you were defending what is your?" he said choosing his words with care.

Dove narrowed her eyes as she picked up the importance of what he said. **"Yes,"** she growled, **"I always protect what is mine. Why do ask, what relevance does this have on the second thing you want me for? Do you want me as some kind of watch dog?"** She sneered the last question

"Your quick on the uptake," Osmond commented. At the female dragons growl he raised his hand, "the second thing I want to ask you is to protect miss Valliere."

Dovahkiin blinked then narrowed her eyes again, **"Isn't it the job of the summoned to protect the summoner? Why do you think I wouldn't?"**

Osmond raised a reassuring hand, "nothing, nothing. I just needed to be sure, Jean here," he gestured to Professor Colbert, "has found something very important, if this were to get out then there could be war over the right to own miss Valliere." He deliberately used the phrase that the dragon had shown her hatred for.

Dovahkiin took the bait, eyes widened in shock, **"What do you mean 'own' Louise?"**

Osmond looked, unafraid, into the eyes of the dragon, "the founder Brimir was a void mage, the most powerful type of mage in all of existence," he paused for a second, "Louise is a void mage."

Dovahkiin blinked, thinking through what she had heard of Louise's attempts at casting spells. "The explosions that she is most known for," Osmond continued as Dovahkiin thought, "are the result of her element affinity being so powerful that she overloads the spells and they combust."

Dovahkiin thought out loud, **"the most powerful element. So they will try and take Louise for themselves. Wait, how do you know she has this affinity?"**

Osmond smiled, "When you were summoned and agreed to take the bonding ritual you received a set of runes marking you as her familiar." Dovahkiin glanced at her wing where she knew the mark lay.

"I have studied the mark extensively," Professor Colbert was speaking now, "I researched where that particular mark has been seen in history before. The only familiar to bare that mark was the familiar of Brimir himself."

 **"** **So you want me to protect her by killing anyone who tries to convince her to join another country, right?"** Dovahkiin asked neutrally.

"Yes, or rather convince them to leave her alone, please," Colbert said quickly.

 **"** **I refuse."**

Colbert blinked at the dragon's answer. "But we-, I'm. What if they-"

Dovahkiin stuck her head forwards until it was just above Jeans, **"I won't prevent anyone from making Louise an offer. I will protect her from those that try and force her,"** a glare indicating that they might fall into this category, **"just as I demanded freedom to choose from Louise I can't deny her the freedom to choose a side in war. I will protect her, not cage her."**

Osmond looked at the dragon hard, "I guess that is all we can ask of you isn't it?"

Dovahkiin nodded, **"I would suggest you tell Louise about her affinity, if she learns from another source then she will feel betrayed by you."**

Colbert blinked, "so you will help us?"

Dovahkiin growled, **"did you not just hear what I said? The choice is hers alone, I will support whatever she chooses, but my advice to you is to talk to her and tell her about her magic."**

"Thank you for your assistance," Osmond said with a bob of his head. Professor Colbert shot him a confused look that Osmond ignored and turned back to the academy.

As soon as they were out of ear shot of the dragon Colbert rounded on the headmaster, "why did you accept her decision? We could have gotten her to fight off any other countries who might take Louise."

Osmond rolled his eyes, "you really didn't listen did you?" At his underlings exasperated look the headmaster continued, "she gave us permission and advice for keeping Louise safe but she also asserted that if someone else treats her better and if Louise wants to leave then she will still support and help her."

Professor Colbert frowned, "basically she said to?"

"Stop the bullying, and treat Louise with respect, or she might leave on her own free will," Osmond said with shrug.

Colbert frowned, "we have tried that before, the other students simply don't listen to us when it concerns her."

Osmond frowned, "we will have to try harder, we need to protect her from outside influences yet how can we, if we can't even control the students under our care?"

Both men left for their own beds to think things over.

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Kirche burst into the room of her best friend. She had noticed Tabitha's anxiety even if she didn't know where it came from. Now she was going to get a straight answer from the silent girl.

While the crash of the surprisingly heavy door still echoed around the room Kirche gasped. Spread out on the floor and bed were books, Tabitha did read a lot but this was to many and they were laid out as if she had been unsatisfied with them and had tossed them aside.

Reaching down Kirche picked up one of the books, "a guide to the dragon's world," she read out loud.

She jumped as the mass on the bed moved and Tabitha rose out of the pile of books. Her face was unkempt and rather wild looking for her, meaning that she had a small frown, her hair was ruffled and her eyes kept glancing at the corners and windows as if looking for spies.

"Tabby," Kirche started concern growing by the second, "What are you doing?"

Tabitha fixed her friend with a look, "looking for a book,"

Kirche frowned, "a book about what?"

"How to kill Louise's familiar."

* * *

 **So now we have Tabitha out for blood.**

 **Anywho, I feel like I have forgoten something that I wanted to put here.**

 **I just remembered, I will give cookies to anyone who translates names the song Dove sings a line from.**

 **Who would say no to cookies life this (::) ?**

 **Final note; my family is going to my grandparents farm and I will be working often, there will be another chapter it a week it just might be on or around Monday morning.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Right on time**

 **For when I promised**

 **but not when I wanted to post**

 **oh well.**

 **Skyrim is a large, pen world and I am to small to have owned it.**

 **Familiar of Zero is also called another name that I can't even pronounce**

 **So I don't think I own them.**

* * *

 **Thanks for all the "Love it" and "well that got drastic"**

 **alexkehling: Ya, Tabitha asked the wrong questions and Dove gave some slightly shady answers but neither wanted the other to know certain things so now they are at odds.**

 **Boyzilla: The dragon moments are better then the Dove ones? I guess it can be seen like that.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Jackalope 89: pairings...**

 **I have had two requests for pairing types but almost no names for who they want the pairings to happen with.**

 **IF YOU WANT A PAIRING THEN GIVE ME A NAME!**

 **the only two suggestions I have had for pairings are 'how about a lesbian relationship?' and 'dragons'**

 **please give me a name if you want him/her as a possibility.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **: Thank you for the lore suggestion and I hope you actual do read my story.**

 **PEJP Bengtzone V2: Possibly it could be seen as Adaptation villainy for Tabitha but there is also the fact that Her familiar is INSTINCTUAL afraid of Dovahkiin, that would in my opinion carry over at least a little bit to the summoner. "Credit is where credit is due" I'm not entirely sure what that means. She acknowledges that you did something great but doesn't get awestruck if that is what you mean. Finally, I have no idea what I am going to do with the water spirit.**

 **Me Myself and I: Thank you for the insight on dragon society, I feel like I might have miss represented them just a bit and I will need to look into that in future chapters. I don't think that Dove is 'holding the idiot ball' I think that she is trying to distance herself from the dragons and ended up giving the wrong impresion of them. Osmonds offer is on the table but might get side tracked in a few days.**

 **perfectshade: What is up with this phrase, "The idiot ball"? everyone keeps using it. Yes this all could have been avoided if Tabitha and Dove both just sat down and talked but Tabitha has only had herself to depend on for years in a hostile environment, and Dove just got yanked from her home and doesn't really trust other right now. Dove has made her choice, she promised to protect Louise and she will do so to the best of her abilities.**

 **Aramiloniasha: FIRST OF WHY IS MY FIRST NAME IN YOUR PEN NAME? ps false anger.**

 **Now this dragon is Dovahkiin is the dragonborn, her shape just got changed to reflect what her soul truly is.**

 **GrimKid98: yes she did but she should be able to get through it right?**

 **Kisaragikei: she did ask but a misunderstanding of two very different cultures caused a little confusion. Also I think that the fear that Slyphid is feeling would transfer over to Tabitha and put her more on edge and act sooner.**

 **Dante Fernandez: Thank you for the idea of dragon lovers.**

* * *

"What are you going to do for the exhibition Louise?" Kirche asked the zero after breakfast. The second year students were out on the yards working with their familiars to perfect a trick or two in time for the festival.

Currently Kirche had her familiar, very originally named Flame the fire lizard, pushing out a long burst of fire that they were trying to make shapes in the air with.

Despite everyone being out in the same courtyard the students excluding the Zerbst were all avoiding one corner where Louise was standing alone.

Despite the… healthy fear of her familiar the students had started to become bolder as the days past and the dragon had yet to be seen again.

"Why is she here at all?" a partially stupid and cruel one called, "I heard that your familiar had run off, it hasn't been seen since it claimed to be a heretic." The boy laughed.

Louise glared at the boy, then her face broke into a grin that confused the bully.

 **"** **What does my views on gods and demons have to do with my absence?"** a very well-remembered voice asked.

The voice was directly behind him.

"AAAAAAH!" he shouted as her twisted around to face the leering visage of death.

Dovahkiin was perched on the wall behind him, her head snaking down to hover just above his. **"I believe in the nine divines, I will follow my teachings and don't practically care to learn yours right now. But back to the question, why does this matter?"**

The boy just started blubbering incoherently.

Dovahkiin sighed and almost slithered down the wall and across the green to stand by Louise's side.

The rest of the students decided to take an even deeper interest in their own familiars rather then that one corner.

 **"** **So what do you think I can do to impress these people Louise?"** Dovahkiin asked when she got close. **"Apart from my obvious good looks?"**

"Where were you?" Louise asked ignoring what Dovahkiin had said.

Dovahkiin gave a dragon's shrug, **"the entire academy is preparing for the festival. Its only two days away you know, I was checking inventory and cleaning the halls."**

"Well now we have almost no time to practice our performance," Louise huffed.

Dovahkiin smiled and cooed comfortingly, **"as if anyone could beat us. I was thinking I could show them a shout or two that could blow them away."**

Louise eyed Dovahkiin's innocent face suspiciously, "How literal are you when you say you would 'blow them away?'"

 **"** **Very."**

"No we can't cause people to get hurt."

 **"** **What if I use shouts that don't cause people to get hurt?"** Dovahkiin asked.

Louise nodded, "that should work, how many do you know?"

 **"** **..."**

"You can't think of any can you"

 **"** **Not really. The Thu'um is power itself, it was often said that if you see two dragons shouting fire and ice at each other then they are engaged in heated conversation. It is ill suited for parlor tricks."** Dovahkiin growled.

Louise thought about it, "we could just do a flying routine, maybe we can team up with Tabitha and work on something together."

Dovahkiin looked around for the blue haired mage, she was sitting on the ground reading a book, her familiar was nowhere to be seen. **"No, she already has a plan and has perfected it. It would be rude to barge in on her act."**

Louise blinked, looking at her class mate. "what makes you say that?" She asked as she looked over at the lazy girl.

 **"** **She isn't practicing and she isn't panicking like everyone else whose forgotten, so either she isn't concerned by the festival or she is already prepared for it,"** Dovahkiin reasoned.

"Fine," Louise frowned thinking about everything she knew about her familiar's abilities. "So what are we going to do?" she asked coming up blank.

 **"** **I think we should do a few air tricks and call it good,"** Dovahkiin suggested.

"Wait, I have an idea, the one thing that you can do that no other familiar here can is talk, how about we do a game of riddles?" Louise suggested in return.

 **"** **After making a grand entrance of course,"** Dovahkiin smirked as they both nodded in agreement.

Neither of the two happy girls noticed the eyes that hadn't left them except to hide behind the book in her arms when they had happened to glance towards her. 'Riddles won't give me any new information on the dragon' Tabitha thought.

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"The Princess of the kingdom of Tristian, her royal highness lady Henrietta has arrived!" a loud man shouted the next morning. Everyone was gathered at the entrance to the academy, they had woken up rather early for them, awaiting this very event.

First through the arched opening in the wall was a regular horse drawn carriage, it was rather unnoticeable and most ignored it because on its heels came another carriage. This one was white and pink with a sculpted crown on the top. Pulling this carriage was four white horses, scratch that, unicorns.

Where did someone find unicorns to pull a carriage?

Surrounding the entire parade was a group of young women on horseback. On their hips were broad swords but obviously their main weapons where the muskets across their backs and the smaller flintlock pistols at their side.

Dove stood in the crowd next to Louise, not drawing attention to herself. She had never heard of gunpowder before, it sounded like something that the Dwemer would create and she had enough experiences with that to know that they were best left alone.

The carriages pulled to a stop in front of the stairs where the administration staff and teachers were waiting.

"So, this princess," Dove started without moving her head.

"Quiet," Louise hissed back immediately.

Dove blinked and looked at Louise, surprised at the quick and somewhat uncalled for reaction.

Louise didn't notice, she was looking ahead with a smile on her face. Dove realized that except for when they were flying she hadn't seen Louise smile on her own with any happiness. She had a calm and contented smile that she often used but never a truly happy smile.

'She should do that more often', Dove decided and returned her eyes to the carriages. 'What about this arrival has her so happy?'

As the carriages stopped a young dark haired woman in a maid uniform stepped down from the front and got the door as another came out and held her hand to assist the other person inside.

Gently grasping the helping hand was another young woman, a teenager about as tall as the second years with deep purple hair, white dress, purple cape, and a tiara that was strangely reminiscing of the maids' headpiece on Dove's own uniform.

All together she gave off the feeling of someone who wouldn't harm a fly and could be only described as cute or beautiful.

All she had to was smile at the crowd and they started to cheer in her honor.

"So that's the princess of Tristian?" Kirche said to herself watching from the crowd, "well I am more beautiful than her any day, don't you think so?" She decided and asked at the same time asked Tabitha besides her.

"Well," Tabitha said only half listening as she read a book on dragon slaying tactics.

After she had entrusted her plan to Kirche she had gotten a stern talking to about the political ramifications of killing another countries mage's familiar. She had to agree that an unprovoked attack on Dovahkiin would only harm her and make things more difficult in the future.

All that it to her was that she would have to be sneaky about the way she did it.

Kirche took her mutter as agreement and continued watching the precession.

Eventually reaching the front of the academy the princess greeted the headmaster, "Lord Osmond, I apologize for the sudden selfish request." She smiled looking a little shameful at her apparent intuition at the academy.

"Not at all your highness," Osmond denied her reason for shame in a heartbeat. "The students and I have been eagerly awaiting your arrival with joyful anticipation."

'And back breaking preparations,' Dove commented in her head as she remembered the hours of dusting and cooking she had gone through.

"This was the one year that I really wanted to see the exhibition with my own eyes," Princess Henrietta said off handily.

"Oh?" Osmond said questioningly, "Why is that?"

Henrietta smiled fondly, "just a personal reason, that's all he he." She giggled disarmingly at the end.

Without much else to do, Osmond welcomed the princess and her entourage of musketeers into the academy.

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Louise lay in bed thinking about the day that had just gone by. After the princess had been shown to her room and the guard had worked out with the academy guards' things had gone basically back to normal, except with an extra emphasis on being polite and acting your station.

Now Louise lay there thinking about how badly things could go tomorrow, how much she could embarrass herself in front of her best friend and princess.

'Dovahkiin trips and falls on someone, I can't remember a riddle, I forget a more complex flying routine, We-'

Knockknockknock

A trio of quick knocks on her door interrupted Louise's inner fear.

"Yes? Who is it?" Louise called out quickly as she went over to the door. Opening door, a fraction she was greeted by the sight of a dark hood as someone burst into her room.

"Ah, wh-who are you?" Louise stuttered as she pointed her wand at the intruder.

"Well it has been a while," the stranger said. Louise gasped as she recognized the voice.

Throwing back her hood the princess hugged her, "Louise Francoise!" she said happily.

"Your highness!" Louise gasped.

"Louise, it's really good to see you, I really missed you a lot," Henrietta said still hugging her friend.

"Princess you should not have come here, this place is too humble for such an honor," she said falling into a kneeling position.

"Oh, stop all the formalities Louise," Henrietta said in a mock scorn tone of voice. "You don't have to do that with a childhood friend."

"Your highness," Louise said again humbly.

Helping her up, Henrietta and Louise walked over to the bed and reminisced about their childhoods together, they were just out of child hood but that didn't stop them from reminiscing about their first important promises to each other as kids.

After a minuet arguing over the exact color of the butterfly they had been chasing when they had fallen over Henrietta noticed something.

"Louise?" she asked, "where is your familiar?"

Louise for her part blushed a little, "she is outside, somewhere." She really didn't know exactly where Dove slept.

"Why is your familiar outside?" Henrietta asked tilting her head to the side.

Louise paused mulling over her thoughts, "I summoned a dragon, a kind that I don't think anyone has seen before," she finally said.

Henrietta blinked, "a kind of dragon that was never seen before? What makes you say that?"

Louise gestured helplessly, "well, she has no fore legs and is significantly larger than any other dragon I have heard of before, that and she can talk."

Henrietta imagined a dragon without front legs, it looked ridiculous in her mind's eye, "wait, she can talk? Like you and me?" Henrietta asked a little worriedly.

"Yes!" Louise said happily, "at first I thought she might be a rhyme dragon since she could talk but she claims to be from some faraway place that we have never heard of before.

Henrietta's blood ran a little cold, "LOUISE!" she didn't mean to shout but she did out of worry.

Louise jumped and looked terrified at her friend's sudden movement. "Princess, what's wrong?" She asked.

"Louise," Henrietta said this time more calmly, "do you know why rhyme dragons are considered extinct?"

Louise frowned, "I haven't really thought about it. Come to think of it, they were said to be very powerful dragons so it is surprising that there are none left around today."

"They were hunted into extinction by us mages to harvest their magical body parts," Henrietta said as if she was quoting a text in a book.

Louise's eyes bulged, "wait, does that mean that Dovahkiin-"

"If she is a rhyme dragon then she is in danger of people killing her to cut her up and selling her body parts," Henrietta said gravly.

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Dove froze as she was removing her dress, then sneezed. 'I'm not getting sick am I?" she half thought half murmured.

BANGBANG.

She jumped at the loud crashing on the door to her quarters. "Yes? Whose there?" she called out picking up and placing her head piece on and starting to tie it in place.

"Are you miss Dove the assistant cook?" came the muffled reply on the other side of the door.

Dove blinked, students didn't come around here and everyone else knew where her room was, this could only be someone with the princess party.

"Yes, this is my room," she answered hesitantly pulling Derf out from under the bed covers where she had placed him so that he wouldn't peak at her undressing.

The door crashed open a little harder than it should. In the door was a young blond woman in armor, side: broad sword, musket on back, flintlock pistol at hip. It was one of the princess Musketeer knights.

Dove drew Derf and held him unshaking at her. The knight blinked at the quick response, unconsciously dropping into a half squat. "There is no need for that," the knight said in a comforting manor.

"Says the person who burst into someone's room all but unannounced," Dove said condescendingly.

The knight glanced at the door, noticing the hair line cracks on the face. "Opps, sorry," she said rubbing her head.

Dove glared a little, "oops? Who are you and why are you here?"

The knight stood up straight, "I am musketeer knight, Agnes Chevalier de Milan, here on behalf of my lady, the princess Henrietta, to inquire about the rumors that Count Mott was defeated by a disgraced noble who works at the academy. I heard that this person is you." Her tone was clipped and shot, as if every word was a pain to her.

"I am not some disgraced noble," Dove said calmly, "I am a traveler. Where I am from everyone can use magic."

Agnes frowned, "Everyone can use magic. No land has people like that."

Dove smirked, "I am from a very faraway place, I was brought here accidently by being to close to a familiar when a student summoned her."

Agnes could see the implied message, "you don't know how to get home, do you?"

Dove's smirk dropped, "no."

Agnes left the obviously painful topic, "so you defeated Count Mott in single combat, how did you do this?"

Smirk returned, "I noticed that he was using water so I shot lightning at him, shot him with an icicle, then walked up and hit him with my sword at him, left him with a scar so that he will have to honestly pay girls to get then in his bed instead of feeling like he is entitled to us."

"So you are at least a line class wind mage," Agnes said, relief flooding her now that she knew that Dove wasn't a fire mage.

"I don't understand the term," Dove said.

Agnes enlightened her, "There are five elements that mages can use, wind, water, air, fire," she growled the last one, "and void. Mages have an affinity for one or the other but they also are much more powerful if they can combine the elements, leading to the classification for dot; mages with only one element, line; a mage that can combine two, triangle; a mage with three, and square; a mage that can combine all the known elements."

Dove frowned, "Where I am from we have six schools of magic, Destruction, Alteration, Conjuring, Restoration, Enchanting, and Illusion. What I did was a novice lightning destruction spell, and then a slightly more advanced ice spell."

Agnes shook her head, she didn't even try to understand the differences between the two forms of magic, "The Knights with wind affinity have been trying to use lighting for hundreds of years, you would have to be at least a triangle class mage provide the power needed for the spell."

"Any novice can shoot lightning or throw fire where I am from, many can do both," Dove said and lifted her arms, flames danced on her left hand and the right had lightning jumping between the fingers.

Agnes jumped back grabbing for her sword.

"SORRY!" Dove said stopping her spells, shocked at the violent reaction, most people in Tristian didn't even blink with spells were cast.

Agnes narrowed her eyes. "Don't do that ever again," she spat and went for the door.

Dove looked down, "sorry," she mumbled again.

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Morning came and by the time the sun was just over the horizon the exhibition was ready. Students were gathering to see the familiars before the exhibition and talk with friends or family that they didn't often see because of their schedules.

For the servants and staff, the day was one of fun, they were allowed the day to themselves and most of them spent it in the kitchens or watching the familiars.

Dove was watching the familiar's exaptation, just not with the other staff members. She was off to the side with the others that hadn't yet preformed.

"Do you think we are going to win?" Louise asked besides her.

Dovahkiin gave a dragons' shrug, **"there is no guaranty, you have several smart peers with great familiars, we can only do our best."**

"Smart peers?" Louise asked as she watched Guiche posing with roses and a giant mole.

 **"...** **That might not be the best example,"** Dovahkiin admitted.

Kirche went out and was much better than Guiche, getting her familiar fire lizard to make flames that twisted into a double helix in the air.

The better examples were Momorency who pulled out a fiddle and got her frog familiar to dance, that was actually rather impressive since frogs didn't have a body meant for dancing, and a boy Dovahkiin never learned the name of who called his familiar owl to his side.

"Hey, Dovahkiin," Louise said.

 **"** **Yes?"**

"What type of dragon are you? I never got a straight answer for that," Louise asked pressing for an answer.

 **"** **Louise, I don't know how to answer that question, in Skyrim there is only one type of dragon, it is only here that I have encountered other 'types' of dragons,"** Dovahkiin said wondering where this was going.

"When we go out on stage I don't want you to talk," Louise ordered quickly.

Dovahkiin frowned and tilted her head, **"Why not? I can't answer or give riddles if I can't speak. Besides I talk all the time and most everyone in the academy knows that I can so why not now?"**

Louise bit her lip, "There once was a type of dragon, I mentioned them to you, the Rhyme dragons remember?"

 **"** **Ah, yes, weren't they the dragons that could talk by shapeshifting into a human?"** Dovahkiin remembered.

Louise shook her head quickly, "yes they were, there are none left now a days and I just learned why. Mages hunted them into extinction for their magical body parts."

Dovahkiin looked down on the small mage, **"you are worried that I will be taken and cut up for my body by greedy mages. You don't need to worry; I won't go down easy."** Dovahkiin rolled her shoulders, flexing her wings.

Louise stared, "what if they take you by surprise or poison you?" She asked in disbelief at the careless way Dovahkiin was taking the threat of dismemberment/disembowelment.

 **"** **If it makes you feel better then I won't talk in front of them on stage but I have no reason hide later."** Dovahkiin said to sooth her.

Louise sighed, she knew that she wasn't getting a better deal with her dragon. "Fine," she said as she watched Tabitha fly into the air on the back of her dragon.

Soon it was their turn, Louise walked on to the stage. The stage was very large with three square, brightly colored poles holding a white cloth as a background.

"Allow me to introduce my familiar, her name is Dovahkiin, her type is Sky's rim dragon!" she called out proudly making up a name on the spot.

Everyone looked around for the dragon, it wasn't in sight.

Then a head lifted over the back drop of the stage, a large scaled head.

In the back, where the princess and her knights sat, there was an instant reaction, backs were straightened and a subconscious hand reached for their swords and muskets.

Suddenly the dragon leapt over the backdrop revealing its body in all its blue-green glory.

Dovahkiin turned her head to the left and shouted in a gravely, almost incoherent way, **"Fo Krah Diin!"**

A long burst of ice shot from her mouth causing the stage to her left to be iced over, covered in little growths that looked almost like ferns of ice. Next she turned her head to the right, **"Yol Toor Shul!"** This time fire burst from her mouth and blackened the stage to the right.

The crowd gaped.

Louise standing in front of her increasable dragon in the only clear space left on the stage. She moved up quickly as Dovahkiin lowered her shoulder to allow her to climb up.

Louise flashed the stunned crowd a bright smile, noticing the proud and happy look on the face of her friend.

Dovahkiin rose up on her hind legs and started beating the air, a single leap and they were airborne.

Flying over the crowd Dovahkiin went straight up and pulled into a tight half circle, pointing back the way they came and flying temporarily upside down.

Twisting to the side they flew over the wall and around the entire academy at speeds that dwarfed the fastest of Sylphid.

the crowd gasped as they suddenly pulled into a dive and landed after their short flight.

Louise jumped off and gave a quick bow, to wild applause.

"Thank you Louise. We will now begin the judging," Professor Jean Colbert called to the crowd.

The crowd dispersed to walk around the area and gawk at the more impressive familiars, Dovahkiin snorted as a small group started towards her. Quickly turning to her right she stalked off towards the back of the academy.

'Hate crowds… passionately.' she thought as she left.

Louise watched Dovahkiin leave with a small frown. "Why is she leaving?" She muttered expecting her to bask in the awe of the crowd like she was.

"Miss Valliere," a voice from behind her said.

Louise jumped a little and turned. Behind her was a knight.

"Yes?" Louise asked.

"The princess would like to talk to you," the knight said gesturing towards the pavilion where Osmond and the princess had watched the exhibition.

"Thank you," Louise said and walked towards the pavilion.

"Louise," the princess greeted brightly.

"Your highness," Louise greeted back kneeling.

"I must say," the princess started, "I have never seen a dragon without front legs before, or one that could breathe different elements."

Louise smiled, proud of her familiar, "Thank you your highness, I am very happy to have such a strong and unique being as my familiar."

Henrietta smiled, behind her a white haired man in a fancy robe peered at the small mage. "I would like to know more about your familiar if that doesn't bother you," he asked.

Louise blinked and looked over at him, "I would be happy to answer, mister?"

The man seemed to catch himself, "my apologies, I am Cardinal Mazarin, I represent the church in Tristian." Louise bowed again to the Cardinal.

"I am honored to be in your presence your grace," Louise said humbly still on her knees.

The older man smiled, "I am honored that you think so highly of me Miss Valliere. I just wanted to know more about your familiar, you said that she was a sky's rim dragon yet I have never heard of that kind before. Also I am interested in how she can breathe both elements. Could you enlighten me on this topic?"

Louise frowned, a little afraid of what she could say. "Louise," the princess was the one talking, gaining the attention of everyone else in the pavilion, "Cardinal Mazarin won't harm Dovahkiin."

Louise was reassured, and the Cardinal was confused.

Louise answered, "Dovahkiin is able to talk," she said surprising the cardinal, "like the Rhyme dragons of old, I was afraid that if too many people learn about this they might want to cut her up for alchemic supplies."

Cardinal Mazarin nodded at her fear, recognizing how likely it was if she was such a dragon. "She has told me about her land and about the dragons who live there." Louise finished up, "But if you ask the maid Dove she can answer more of your questions, she comes from the same land and was brought here accidently when I summoned Dovahkiin."

Cardinal Mazarin was surprised further, "a woman brought from another land by a summoning spell? This sounds like something I would like to know more about. Tell me Lord Osmond, could you arrange a meeting with this woman?"

Osmond bowed, "I would be happy to, she is often in the kitchens baking the next meal but for today she should be somewhere nearby with the other servants who have the day mostly off."

Then the sky turned bright red.

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Dovahkiin sneezed, was she coming down with a cold? she shouldn't be. She hadn't been around anyone who was recently sick because of the sanitary needs of a running a kitchen. She remembered a strange squinty eyed person she had met once who told her that sneezing was a sign that someone was talking about you.

It sounded stupid to her then but it seemed more plausible here and now.

'Why am I walking?' Dovahkiin thought as she passed a bridge from the main tower into another tower. 'I could just have flown away, got away more effectively, so why a stroll?'

THUD

Dovahkiin felt her ears pop, and every other thought left her. She looked around trying to see what happened, it was as if she had walked into a room with denser air. She could see nothing in the immediate area around her but something odd could just barley be seen in the next area.

Deciding that she was tired of walking she leapt into the air, hovering for just a second then she gained altitude.

The thing in the next area could have been mistaken for a small mountain. 'How did that get there?' Dovahkiin thought and pushed for more height and then into a steady glide towards the large hill.

The hill moved, what looked like a face was revealed as the thing took a swing at the dragon with large club like arms.

Atronachs were creatures summoned by mages, they came in fire, storm, air, and flesh, there were such things as stone Atronachs but they were more often made of iron or steel. The thing attacking Dovahkiin would instead be called a **"golem!"**

The golem shifted its weight back towards the wall and started punching it, each blow caused what looked like a ripple to spread across the air. On the golems shoulder stood a dark robed and hooded person, the figure was obviously female but the hood cast her face in complete darkness.

As Dovahkiin twisted in the air the mage gestured with her wand and a spike of stone burst from the golems shoulder, heading straight for the dragon.

Dovahkiin tucked her wings in and dropped like a stone should. The spike missed by a foot.

Suddenly Dovahkiin felt her blood boil, hotter than anything she had felt in combat before. The Joor had struck at the daughter of Akotosh she would perish before her might. Her soul roared in pure instinctual rage and her voice followed her souls prompting.

 **"** **Seyl Yol Mah!"** her voice was a challenge to the foolish mage and the very rocks obeyed her will. Flames burst from the surprisingly round stones as they started falling through the suddenly red sky. The impacts from the stones left small craters in the ground and on the golem.

The mage quickly pushed upwards with her wand and formed a half dome out of her golem.

As the academy was peppered with craters the golem crashed his arm once more into the wall, breaking through the weakened stone and leaving a large hole in it. The mage ran for it as quickly as her legs could carry her

Dovahkiin spun in midair turning her body into a projectile just like the dragons she had fought before had done, and crashed into the arm trying to crush the mage.

The mage had just made it in the tower when Dovahkiin crashed into the arm, completely smashing it beneath her.

Undaunted Dovahkiin pulled up and landed on the wall and started clawing her way to the hole in the wall. Inside was a circler room with a raised walk way. On the walkway the mage was carving quick message on the wall, under her arm was a purple box.

 **"** **Ofan zey fin pok joor,"** Dovahkiin growled only barely aware of the fact that she was speaking dovahzu'l, **"ahrk Zu'u fen oblaan hei aas!"**

 **'** **hand over the box mortal and I will end you quick.'** her thoughts had said and she had been trying to say.

The mage tilted her head at the strange words, confusion evident, then she smiled.

Dovahkiin suddenly felt something grip her back and pull her away from the wall. The golem with its remaining arm had grabbed her. She flailed her legs and tried to move her pinned wings as the golem twisted. Twisting its body around the golem swung its arm around in a short, powerful arc sending the dragon crashing into the wall opposite the academy.

Dovahkiin gave a loud screech as her right wing snapped and bent in a way it was never made to bend. Instantly her pain blotted out any other feeling or sense.

"Dovahkiin!"

The shout came from the other side of grounds, looking up though her pain Dovahkiin was shocked to see Louise running towards her.

Across the crater strewn grass, practically under the legs of a few thousand-ton golem.

'If we survive this, I will kill her,' Dovahkiin's hazy thoughts were running along these lines.

"You have my thanks dragon!" Shouted the mage as she remounted her golem from the tower.

Louise turned and shot a spell after the retreating mage's construction, "FIREBALL!" which promptly exploded against the golem and it did almost nothing to the golem.

The golem stepped over the wall and disappeared into the forest with its prize.

* * *

 **So cookies: the only person to give me the right phrasing was Northernotaku and he named it to be the warp zone, song of the dragonborn.**

 **(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)**

 **All for you.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Back on time!**

 **Skyrim is very confusing.**

 **Familiar of Zero is very cutesy.**

 **Neither of them are mine.**

* * *

 **Does it bother anyone when I answer reveiws with a PM and then here on the page?**

 **I mostly do both so that I can get into a deeper convasation with the PM and then try and summarize the newer knowlage I got PMing here for all to see.**

 **If it bothers you then please let me know.**

 **.**

 **alexkehling: Fire and lightning to create a plasma attack? I don't know why but now I have this image in my head of master chief and the arbiter flying on dragons in my head. Agnes was caught off guard by Dove and reacted a little harshly.**

 **FrankZTank13: No Fus-Ro-Dah off a planet, but at least across a field for the larger things.**

 **Jackalope: Even if you are okay without pairings it helped me think about what might be needed later in the story. Thank you**

 **evevee: Most of those are internal or as we discussed, bring down the Inquisition.**

 **Boyzilla: thanks for pointing out the bad grammar, that really helped.**

 **Touhou is Life: I don't plan on killing Dove or anyone else so that the story can continue, at least not for today.**

 **PEJP Bengtzone V2: ya, I would have to say that Dove is a 'Credit is where credit is due' type of person. I guess no wyvern dragons live in Halkeginia.**

* * *

As soon as the danger left, the knights and guards ran out and secured the area. Princess Henrietta ran out as well, trailing Agnes and Mazarin behind her as she quickly made her way towards the figure of Louise.

Louise was standing next to Dovahkiin looking her over, murmuring comforting things to her dragon.

"Is she alright?" the princess asked as she pulled level with her friend.

Louise shook her head faintly, "Her wing is broken, the golem threw her against the wall and it broke-"

Dovahkiin growled and shifted her weight around until she was looking right at the group, **"I am not an invalid. I won't let some scratch like this keep me down, I need to find that thief."** Dovahkiin started to shift around to make ready for flight.

Something snapped in Louise. "You will sit there and let a healer look at you before you go anywhere or so help me I will tie you down until you are completely healed, do you understand me Dovahkiin?" her voice was quiet, but intense. Dovahkiin seized as if her words had frozen the blood in her veins.

Rage burned in her, 'why am I so mad?' Dovahkiin thought but instead of questioning it farther she snarled, twisting back around as she growled at the mages, **"I will leave. I can still catch the thief if I hurry and defeat her."**

Louise startled everyone by growling right back at the large lizard head, leaning in until there was only an inch between her and Dovahkiin's right eye. "You will stay put. You might be able to catch her if that wing could function," she said, "but look at it, you won't be flying for days and you won't be able to attack even if you could fly, you will only exasperate the injury. SIT DOWN AND LET SOMONE ELSE GO!"

Dovahkiin felt pride at the girl's defiant nature, deep down she knew that she was being stubborn and then anger blotted out the rest and she growled back. Something in her didn't want to let this shaming of her superiority go unpunished.

'My superiority?' Dovahkiin thought a little confused. 'When did that matter?'

"I could try a healing spell on you, if you want." Both horn locked bulls turned at the voice, they had almost forgotten that there were others in the area around them.

The Princess was the one whose words had reminded them of this and they both sheepishly looked down.

Dovahkiin then snorted and twisted to the side, **"I have no need. I have a spell that will be suitable for my purposes."**

Cardinal Mazarin perked up in interest, "you can use magic? That's rather interesting, what is your element? How do you use magic if you don't worship the founder? What does the spell do for y-?"

Dovahkiin snapped at the air, silencing the Cardinal, **"Namria's Tits! * you ask a lot of questions."** Dovahkiin sighed and reached for the pool of magicka inside of her, something felt a little off about it but she ignored it and called for the restoration magic to flow through her wing and shoulder area.

Everyone jumped at the golden glow that encumbered the dragons wing and then again as her wing basically fixed itself by pulling itself forwards and down into its rightful place.

It took a minuet of watching the dragon roll its shoulder then open and close its wing before anyone spoke.

"Did that hurt?" The Princess and Louise asked at the same time.

Dovahkiin gave a final shrug and sighed, **"only when it moves bone around. When the spell is working with flesh wounds it usually doesn't hurt."**

Ignoring the surprised look on the Princesses face and the concerned look on Louise's, Dovahkiin lifted her wings and pulled herself into the air with a gust of wind.

"The Staff of Destruction has been transferred into my hands, Fouquet th-," the headmaster read aloud to the group with him as his staff passed over the incomplete message carved into the wall.

"Oh, dear," groaned Professor Colbert as he heard the words spoken, his news was even less bright in light of this. "I am sorry to say that there is nothing that can be done now. The thief has gotten away cleanly, all that could be found was a large earthen mound found in the woods, obviously it was caused by the golem being dispersed but the ground is too disturbed to leave a clear trail for trackers to follow and the dogs can't seem to find a trail to follow either."

Osmond sighed, "She must be using magic to hide herself from us. What are the damages? How many are hurt?"

Colbert smiled wanly at this part, "there is a lot of damage, it looks like this side of the academy has been the victim of a meteor shower, Fouquet must be a square class mage if she could have summoned such a golem and throw rocks around like that at the same time. But there are no reported injuries apart from Dovahkiin who has healed herself."

Osmond frowned, "I have never heard of a spell that causes a shower of rock, Fouquet must be a genius to have created such a powerful spell. How is the dragon, Dovahkiin? I take it that losing to a mage won't go over to well with her."

"Hurt and angry," Colbert admitted, "her wing was dislocated but she used some kind of spell to put it back into place and she was back in action soon afterwards. In fact, she was the one to find the large earthen mound that we suspect to have been the golem."

"I guess we have to thank her for being there and attempting to stop the thief," Osmond mused.

Colbert nodded, "Sir," something had been bothering Colbert since this event, "I have heard a rumor that blame for this event is being placed on the Princesses shoulders, that it was her fault because we moved the guards to protect her instead of the vault."

Osmond nodded sadly, "there are some who see it that way, some will try and blame anyone or anything except themselves for this failure."

"But headmaster," Colbert said grabbing onto his superior's arm, "how can we fix this? No matter what they say we know that the fault is ours. We moved the guards, we endangered the staff of destruction, and so we are to blame for this event. How can we fix this?"

Osmond sighed, "If only it were as easy as going to the palace and saying 'we are to blame'. Instead we must do something about this, we must find the staff of destruction ourselves or catch this Fouquet character and turn her in for the queens' justice. Nothing else will silence these rumors."

A frown appeared on Colbert's face. "But how can we do that?" He asked, "we have lost the trail and no one has been able to catch her before."

"I have an idea." The voice came from the floor where the door was.

Colbert and Osmond leaned over the rail to see Miss Longueville on the main floor of the chamber.

"How would we do that Miss Longueville?" Osmond asked.

Longueville stated her idea succinctly. "If we ask any of the surrounding towns folk then we might get a lead, many of the surrounding villages use the forest as hunting grounds and hence know the land far better than anyone at the academy. They will be able to find even the smallest difference between what is there now and what has been altered since the thief was here. They might have even seen Fouquet in the woods."

Osmond sighed, "we don't have anything else to go off of so I guess that would be a good place to start. You may try your idea Miss Longueville, I would like to see your results in a day or two."

Miss Longueville inclined her head, "Yes lord Osmond."

The next day Dovahkiin sat alone in her room. Despite the calm look on her face and the steady breathing her mind was in turmoil. She was meditating on her soul, her dragon spirit hoping to understand why she snapped at Louise yesterday.

She didn't like what she found.

When she had been asked by her mentor Paarthurnax, **"What is better; to be born good, or to overcome your evil nature by great effort?"** she had thought she understood. He was talking about second chances and rewarding acts of great effort, whether they were of personal effort or the work of army's.

He had gone on to mention that he needed to fight his nature every day. Giving her a great example of what he meant by effort.

But now she could understand how literal his words had been. Her soul's nature had been a little part of herself, a part of herself that she was aware of when she fought and needed to deal with when she wasn't, but it had never such a driving force in her mind before.

Now it was starting to grow and influence her despite what she wanted before. She was afraid of herself and the dragon in her was angry at her weakness. **"Your evil nature… I am as Akatosh made me."** She shivered, Paarthunax had called it evil.

She had seen many examples of dragon soul taking over and causing harm to innocent people, Alduin and Miraak being the most obvious examples.

Now the same nature might be overtaking her.

Would she be safe around the students or anyone soon?

Dove growled in anger, 'weakness' she hissed in her head clenching her hands and subtly twitching in place.

Dove suddenly stilled, shame at how quickly her thoughts had turned dark filling her.

Paarthurnax had said that he needed to meditate daily to control himself, maybe she should do the same?

Her introspection was interrupted as the door of her room burst open and an obviously upset Louise came inside.

"Dove, they are blaming the incident on the princess. Blame her for the work of a thief!" Louise ranted as she came into the room.

Dovahkiin sat there sat there for a moment looking at Louise in confusion. "What do you want me to do about it?" she asked.

Louise spluttered, "yo- you could go tell them that it wasn't her fault. You could tell them that it was all the thief's fault. You could clear her name!"

Dove sighed, "Louise," she said practicing her calm, "they don't care for the words of a maid even if I am tectonically the only witness. Also they don't know that I was there, they know that Dovahkiin was there but not me."

Louise sighed back. "I know," she admitted unhappily, "I just don't like what they are saying about the princess, she did nothing wrong."

"I know that as well," Dove assured her, "was there another reason for you busting into my room aside from telling me what I already know and admitting that you also already knew that I know?"

Louise bit her lip, and gave Dove a searching look. "I just wanted to know," she began hesitantly, Dove gestured for her to continue, "back in the court yard you said that the spell only hurt if it moved bones, I want to know, how often have you needed to use that spell?"

Dove smiled gently at the girl. "To be honest I don't rightfully know," she admitted causing Louise to get a concerned look on her face, "I lead an adventurous life Louise," Dove said tiredly, "I fought in a civil war, I got hurt often and used the spell to get back to fighting swiftly."

Louise's eye grew sad but she didn't cry.

Dove rubbed her hand to comfort her. "Anything else you want to talk about?"

Louise nodded quickly, "I was called to the headmaster's office with Tabitha and Kirche came with us. When we arrived we were told by the secretary that Fouquet the sculptor was seen in the woods, she showed a drawing a witness had made and it was her and I was able to confirm that it was the same person. After a minor speech about honor-"

"The old man decided that the academy will be the ones to get the staff of destruction back, and you volunteered. Am I right?" Dove interrupted in a deadpan voice while raising an eyebrow.

Louise blinked, "yes, how did you know?" she asked.

Dove growled deep in her throat beginning to lose the calm she was going for, "it was obvious, only you would be impulsive enough to do this."

Louise frowned, angry at the claim, "I am not the only one, both Kirche and Tabitha volunteered alongside me."

"And that makes it all better, you have company in your insanity." Dove almost sneered disapprovingly, "I'm sure that all the teachers were in the room, that the headmaster would have called them all there. Are they too spineless to do anything themselves?" Dove growled, and then blinked as if she had just heard what she had said, suddenly looking shamefaced.

Louise picked up on the emotion. "Dovahkiin, is something wrong?" she asked coming closer to the maid.

Dove gave a quick false smile, "I'm fine just tired."

Louise didn't believe her for a moment and looked Dove over, her arms were tight against her body and her legs were crossed where she sat. Dove obviously didn't want to talk about it so she left it alone for now.

"Something else," Louise said instead, "I was sent to ask if you would like to come with us. I think the Headmaster wants to see what you can do with magic because his secretary is also coming with us."

Dove turned and thumped her head on the wall.

After gripping her now aching head for a minute. She turned back to surprised Louise.

"When are you leaving?" Dove asked in a decidedly calm voice.

"In an hour, I was told to bring Dovahkiin in reserve," Louise said before grumbling, "apparently Tabitha is a knight, Kirche is an accomplished fire mage, they should be able to fight. The only good thing about me is that I have a powerful familiar."

Dove gave the upset girl a sudden hug, she looked like she needed one. "If it bothers you so much, I could teach you a spell or two when we get back," she offered.

Louise blinked, "you can do that? But I am a failure at magic, a Zero."

"I think that you simply don't know how to control your magic." Dove hypothesized, "Every time you cast a spell it supposedly explodes and causes a mess, right Louise?"

She gained a nod and the girls raised eyebrow.

"Just because the spell didn't do what you wanted doesn't mean that there was no power or that there was no magic used." Dove reasoned then added her main clincher, "In fact creating explosions from nothing can be an increasable advantage in war. I know a few people who would love to have your abilities."

Louise frowned, "I hadn't thought about it like that," she admitted. But the fact is that the spells aren't doing what I want them to do, I can't produce the intended results from the spells. I try to cast a spell to turn a stone into brass and I get a teacher in the hospital tower."

Dove smirked, "I noticed that your countries magic seems to be very different then my lands magic. If I teach you some of my spells I am sure that we can find at least one that works."

"Are, you sure that you are qualified to teach?" Louise asked rather hesitantly, not wanting to offend her familiar but not sure if this idea would work.

Dove bopped Louise on the head, "yes I am. I will have you know that I am the Arch-mage of the college of Winterhold back in Skyrim."

Louise blinked, "Arch-mage? What does that mean?"

Dove got up and picked Delfinger up. "That I am the headmaster of one of the most respected colleges of magic in the continents of Tamirial, and number one in the province of Skyrim," Dove said with a smirk.

Louise's jaw dropped, her eyes bulged, and her knees felt weak.

"After we get back," Dove said walking up and extending her finger, lifted Louise's mouth until it closed, "I will teach you a spell or two, how does that sound?"

Louise just sat there staring at the wall where Dove had been sitting as said maid left the room.

After most of the group met up at the entrance of the academy they sat in a wagon waiting for the two missing members of their party.

"Is it just me or are we constantly waiting for those two?" Kirche complained to the book engrossed Tabitha.

'Dragons are known to have an affinity like mages only they are much more powerfully attuned to only one element as compared to mages that can have more than one natural affinity.'

"Tabby!" Kirche cried dramatically to her silent friend as the lack of reaction concerned her.

"Hm?" Tabitha hummed in question, looking up from her book.

Kirche narrowed her eyes and snatched the book from Tabitha's grasp.

"Dragon identification and hunting basics," she read the name out loud. "Tabby, you're obsessing over this," she said sternly.

Tabitha just looked at her blankly before trying to snatch the book back from out of her hands.

Kirche pulled back out of her reach and actually glared at her friend, "what has Dovahkiin done to make you so set on killing her? Did she take your favorite reading perch or interrupt one of your flights with Sylphid?"

"She is a cannibal," Tabitha said simply before pulling the book out of her stunned friends hand.

Kirche sat there for a second or two, "cannibal, how, why, what makes you think that?" She finally managed to get out.

Tabitha opened the book again, "asked Dove. Skies rim dragons eat their defeated siblings."

Kirche suddenly had the image of Dovahkiin, blood on her muzzle and the body of an identical dragon laid spread out under her. Then the dragon under her wasn't a Dovahkiin lookalike it was, "Sylphid."

Tabitha looked up at the gasp.

"You are afraid that Dovahkiin is going to hurt your familiar," Kirche said thinking out loud and realizing why her friend was so concerned. Tabitha just returned to her book.

"Hey there!"

Kirche and Miss Longueville looked up at the approaching voice that resolved itself into the figure of Dove clad in the same cloths she had fought Count Mott in. Just behind her and a little way back across the green was a little pink haired girl, running to catch up.

"I see that you are ready to go," Miss Longueville said taking in the determined look in Doves eye.

"Yup, all though I must say, this is a stupid idea. We are walking blind into the unknown with no idea of what could be waiting for us," Dove said pointedly.

Miss Longueville shook her head, "We want to show the capital that we are capable of cleaning up our own messes."

Dove rolled her eyes, "fine, just don't do anything risky, got that everyone?" She eyed the group and they all nodded quickly.

Everyone piled into the cart and set off. Louise toward the front, lost in her thought, across from Kirche who was next to Tabitha across from Dove.

Tabitha had put her book down, she needed both eyes on the forest in case of ambush.

Dove was also watching the forest. Trees didn't offer many different sights but she bore it for now.

"So Dove," a voice behind her said. Dove turned and looked at Kirche.

"Yes?"

"Tabby here says that the dragons where you are from are cannibals, is that true?" Kirche said bluntly watching her friend instead of the person she was talking to.

Dove frowned and turned to look at Kirche as she answered. "It's rather hard to explain Kirche. Dragons where I am from are the children of Akatosh, the god of time and the sun."

"Because of this when one dies they are said to come back to life unless a supposedly long forgotten spell keeps them dead. But when two dragons fight and one of them kills the other then the winner absorbs the soul of the looser, gaining knowledge and power from the defeated."

"Dragons, from what I have heard, believe that the world has things set up the way they are, some just are stronger than others and that is the way that life is. Fighting occurs when another dragon is close in strength and wants to prove it, or is absolutely desperate and usually that one is killed."

Kirche lolled her head to the side, still keeping her eyes on her friend and growing a smirk. "So what would happen if a skies rim dragon were to eat a dragon from Halkeginia?"

Dove shrugged not noticing the intense look from Tabitha. "Probably nothing, when a dragon consumes the soul of another it looks like a bunch of golden lights comes rushing into the winner. If the dragon from Skyrim won, then it would probably stand there of a minuet trying to understand why it didn't feel the soul of the fallen entering it."

Kirche oh'd~ and shot another look at Tabitha who returned to watching the trees.

Dove returned to watching the trees, but had her own question. "Why does this Fouquet person steal? If she is a mage, then wouldn't she be nobility? Isn't that how it works in your country?"

Miss Longueville answered, "the fact of the matter is that not all mages are nobles. There have been many mages demoted from nobles to peasants for various reasons, and among that group many disguise themselves as guards or common laborers or turn to lives of mischief and occasionally crime." She seemed to be quoting something, like this was something more than just a little important to her.

Her next words gave a reason why, "Even I am one who has been demoted from my status as a noble woman."

"I don't get that."

Everyone temporarily turned to Dove.

She elaborated, "your government is made up of nobles who are noble because they can do magic, yet there doesn't seem to be a way for new nobles to come into being."

"Where I come from there are Jarls that have a hereditary position, but practically every other title is given by the Jarl for something the person did or because they have proven that they are best for the job, and the position of high king or queen is voted on by Jarls when the previous one dies."

"Simply put, how does your system work if it will either; eventually demote every noble over the course of years, or nobles will have bastard children until everyone can claim a little noble blood and infighting over who is more 'pure' will destroy you."

"You could probably write a book about that," Kirche said thinking about how a book like that could parody their way of life.

"I don't care to write that much," Dove said, "but back to our topic, how can you guys live like that? If miss Longueville got married then her children would be of noble blood and have magic, yet since she was demoted they can't claim anything but they are still as magical as nobles, blurring the line between commoner and noble where it doesn't even matter."

"My head hurts," Kirche grumbled as she tried to wrap her head around it all.

"It isn't overly important right now," Dove said taking pity on the read head returning to watching the forest again.

"What do dragons eat?" Tabitha asked pulling out a quill and notebook, unnoticed by Dove as she watched the trees.

"Most dragons eat meat, like any other predator," Dove answered.

"What kind of meat?"

Dove shrugged, "are you still on the whole cannibal thing? I just explained it to you; dragons don't eat the body of the fallen dragon because when the absorb the soul the flesh turns into fire and pure power, only the bones remain behind so there isn't anything left to eat."

"Really?" Kirche asked surprised. "I have never heard of a dragon doing that before."

Dove nodded, "it has to do with the fact that the dragons are the children of Akatosh, they literally are fragments of his power. The stronger bit of power attracts the weaker bit of power, these bits just happen to be the souls of the dragons themselves."

Tabitha looked up from her notebook, "eating souls?"

Dove nodded again, "yes, dragons need to eat meat like any other predator but they can only get the power of other dragons by eating the souls of their brethren."

Kirche frowned, something was bothering her. "If dragons eat each other to gain power then why haven't dragons gone extinct?" She suddenly smirked, "It's like what you said about the country, Tristian doesn't have any way to make more nobles, yet you said that dragons are fragments of 'HIS power' so that would make them all male right?"

Dove agreed, seeing where this was going.

"So," Kirche continued, "that would make dragons eventually become an endangered species, like 'pure' nobles would eventually become according to you."

Dove cocked her head to the side and looked at the redhead. "I hadn't thought about that; I guess that Akatosh had some kind of plan for that eventuality."

Kirche grew a perverted smirk, half lidded eyes and everything. "Have you ever heard of female Skies rim dragons?" She asked carefully.

"No," Dove didn't like the look or feeling coming Kirche.

"But," Kirche was getting a dark, smutty look, "Little Louise's dragon is female, maybe his plan was for her to 'bring in' more dragons?"

Dove's mouth dropped, her mind froze, finally she turned a bright red and smacked her face. A loud shriek burst from her lips and she covered her face, trying to kill the images that were now burned into her mind.

"Well why else would your god give just one female and then suddenly there is a rise of dragons," Kirche reasoned.

Dove pulled her head back out of her hands and shouted at Kirche, "DRAGONS WERE COMING BACK BECAUSE ALDUIN WAS BRING THEM BACK TO LIFE! NOT BECAUSE OF WHATEVER SMUT YOU ARE THINKING OF!"

Kirche started laughing at her reactions.

"Alduin?" Tabitha asked.

Dove bit her lip and gave Tabitha a glare. Tabitha jerked back a little from her glare, it gave a dark almost evil look to the maid.

"A rather painful individual who I don't want to be reminded of," Dove said stiffly before turning resolutely back to the woods and refusing to talk to anyone else on the way to their destination.

* * *

 ***Namria: Deadric prince of "Ancient Darkness" and all things repulsive, slugs, spiders and cannibals included.**

 **Do you think that the other readers will kill me for the head hurting reference to Harry Potter?**

 **Also**

 **How else do you think Skyrim Dragons would create more apart from instant fem dragon. Since there were so many DragonBorns would just gobble them up like candy?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Ni hao**

 **If I owned Skyrim I might have added a quest to become leader of all dragons**

 **If I owned Familiar of Zero I would have added nukes**

 **Just for the fun of it.**

* * *

 **Jackalope89: Ok, I think I get it that there needs to be a dragon born to kill a dragon permanently, but how many dragon borns have there been in the entirety of Nir?**

 **M:... are you a James Bond reference? Feedback of dragon souls? that sounds painful.**

 **XSDStitch: I have heard that dragons in skyrim just don't have a gender and are just called him because of that. Akotosh might have to rectify that. Alduin would laugh at first seeing Dovahkiin in this position.**

 **Kisaragikei: Thank you for your three ideas about how dragons can keep their numbers up, I am heavily inclined to agree with one of those answers.**

 **blueexorist: thanks.**

 **alexkehling: I know because I heard it on the internet! Copying or self impregnation just sounds weird. In the game dragons were getting revived by Alduin, they hadn't been defeated and consumed by a dragon born, just encased in magical stone.**

 **Boyzilla: I laughed to.**

 **555814: I might write chaos, I'm not really into writing porn.**

 **Belgarion42: OK, so a crap ton of dragon and only like seven dragon borns would slow it down, but still with the numbers of dragons you are eating in the game there should at least be a huge decline. I really like you 'stasis' hypothesis on what happens with dragons, I have a hard time believing it since that would mean there should be random times where a dragon gets killed and then there suddenly is a burst of dragons being found, but there might be something to the living inside the winner idea. Or Akatosh could just be making more like you said.**

 **Snipa: Dragon souls are a rip off, I just spent half an hour killing that stupid dragon preist, and the dragon that happened to be nearby just to know how to make people afraid? BS. :{ Alduin didn't show up until skyrim so there must have been something else to increase the numbers, or there just were a lot to begin with.**

 **TheENDstyler: Like Belgarion42 said, maybe their souls are 'stored' within the dragon born. I seem to be getting that suggested to me a lot.**

 **PEJP Bengtzone V2: no clue. I don't know who or what this Shaman King could be. Kirche's non human ancestors would have to be flame atronachs in my opinion.**

 **perfectshade: Thanks, I was trying to give the impression that she was a nice but fierce person but is afraid that her dovah sol is starting to change her.**

 **GGFBank: I was hoping that it would.**

 **GrimKid98: I'm sure that there is a book somewhere in the realm of Nir where a scholar has wondered how they 'keep their numbers up'.**

 **Innocent Bystndr: Thanks for the comments on Dove double nature and characterization. PS if you don't know Elder Scrolls and don't like the subject of FOZ, then why did you look up my story at all?**

 **Slycutter: That was a really long winded way to say you liked my story. Thanks.**

 **Me Myself and I: really? I thought it was spelled right. So Dragon borns just missed their calling as dragon wives instead of slayers? Merging mortals and dragons would be an interesting take on it. Why should Dovahkiin gain a pair of arms? She already is powerful and unique because of her dragon form.**

 **Finally, the instinctual fear in my opinion comes from the fact that Dove is literally made for fighting dragons.**

* * *

Their destination was a small lodge on the edge of a dirt path. Budding up against the trees on one side, the hut looked like someone had lived in it within the last five years but hadn't been looked after in maybe six months.

Dove snuck up to a window and peeked into the lodge, there was only one room that seemed to combine a kitchen and rough dining area. There were bottles littering the ground and a few wooden boxes lay close to a cold fireplace.

Giving a wave to the others hiding behind a bush, she called out to them, "I think that its empty."

Everyone got up and moved closer. Tabitha came right up to the door and waved her staff, a trail of magical glitter followed her movements and the air wavered like a disturbed soap bubble.

"No traps," she said looking back at the other mages. The group of Louise, Kirche and Longueville moved closer and Dove walked right up to stand side to side with Tabitha.

"That could mean that we are in the wrong place and the staff isn't anywhere near here," Dove said, her eyes fixated on the door before she continued, "or this is a non-magical trap for anyone who tries to follow her."

"I'll just keep the area secure," Louise said with a little bit of a tremor in her voice. The reality of the situation weighing heavily on them all.

"I'll scout the area, make sure that we are alone," miss Longueville said helpfully.

Dove nodded and turned to the others. "Good," she said, "you two, come with me, Tabitha come in last and be ready with a ranged spell, Kirche come in before her and be ready with a medium range fire spell. I'm going in first with a magic ward."

"Magic ward?" Tabitha asked.

"It's like a shield in the air where magic and physical attacks can get deflected," Dove described quickly.

Tabitha thought it over for a second. "Agreed," she eventually said and moved to a position behind Kirche.

Dove sucked in a breath and drew Derflinger. She carefully walked up to the door, watching the ground just in case there was some kind of rune or trigger. At the door she waited for a few seconds, expecting something to happen.

When nothing did she burst open the door in a crouch, throwing up Derf in a defensive block she kept her other hand near the blade to make it look like the spell was coming from the blade.

Her greater ward spell caused the air in front of her to part and light up with white steam like vaper. She crouched down five feet from the door ready to block any incoming spells. Through the distortion of her spell she saw that there was nothing inside.

Behind her the other two burst in and looked around for any sign of danger.

"There is nothing here," Dove said as she stood up, sheathing Derf and ended the spell.

Tabitha walked in and started looking around. Kirche took three steps and sneezed, causing a lot of dust to pick up.

Tabitha started opening drawers as Dove moved towards the fireplace and the boxes.

Kirche groaned. "I'm getting completely covered in dust," she whined and turned to the blue haired girl, "tabby, could you do something about this dust? Maybe a wind spell to blow it all away?"

"Staff of destruction," 'Tabby' said.

Dove turned, confused. In Tabitha's arms was a large purple box with an intricate silver design on the front.

Both of the other girl's jaw dropped and Kirche let out a long "HUH?"

Next Dove drew Derf again and got into a stance. "This has to be a trap, that was too easy to find," she said quickly looking around the room.

"What's the matter?" Louise called out from outside.

The people inside didn't hear her. Dove walked up close, "this does look like the box, but is the staff still in there?" She wondered.

Kirche walked up and snapped open the clasp on the box.

A scream came from the front and Dove twisted to face the door.

The roof suddenly flew off the rest of the hut as if it was swept aside. Rising from the ground was an all too familiar shape.

"Golem!" Kirche cried out and Dove ran for the door.

Tabitha darted forwards until she was right under the new sun light feature and raised her staff. A spell left her lips and air started twisting around her staff, a minor hurricane being born of her magic staff.

The hurricane had a grand three seconds of life before it collided with the chest of the rock golem and was dispersed.

Kirche pulled her eleven inches long wand out of her cleavage and started casting. Fire this time was born and the raging inferno leapt in a straight line for the same spot on the golem's chest as the hurricane.

This actually caused the golem to take a step back, waving its large hands back and forth as it tried to beat the flames out.

It was done in under five seconds and had no visible marks were left from the two attacks.

"Impossible!" Kirche blubbered, fear causing her to tremble.

"FUS RO DAH!"

A shout that could only be described as pure power echoed in the lodge from outside. Tabitha looked out the door and saw the tail end of some strange spell leaving Dove and impacting the golem.

Kirche's eyes widened as the invincible golem was lifted a good twenty feet straight up and ten backwards.

The golem came crashing down, laid out flat by a single spell. Tabitha placed a hand in her mouth and whistled for her familiar. As the four legged dragon familiar came down Dove ran for the downed golem's eyes. Louise, to Doves joy was unharmed and trying to cast every spell she could at the golem, causing little craters to form on the golems surface.

To Doves shock and worry the golem slowly rolled and started moving towards the pink mage.

"Louise fall back!" Dove shouted as she made it to the golems hips and started up the chest.

Louise looked afraid, but she shouted back, "I don't want to! If I can't fight with magic, then how can I call myself a noble?"

Dove growled, after this fight she was going to kill the foolish girl.

Louise took Doves apparent silence as acceptance and returned to shouting spells at the golem.

The golem was now within striking distance of the girl. Still on its 'belly' the golem raised its arm up and brought its spiked hand down on the child.

"Wul Nah Kest!"

Louise was treated to the sight of the golems arm crashing down in front of her nose then growing smaller in seconds. It took her a moment to realize that she had been picked up and carried by her familiar away from the newly formed crater where she had been standing.

"Louise?" Dove asked holding the girl at arm's length checking for injuries, the golem had been an inch from crushing both of them.

Louise didn't move, or answer.

"Louise?" Dove asked louder, concern etching her voice.

Louise reached around Dove's body and pulled her close. "Dove?" She whispered back, her voice breaking and eyes beginning to water, starting to cry, "what is wrong with me? Why can't I cast any meaningful spells?"

Dove sighed and gave a quick squeeze. "Hey Louise," she said to get the girls attention, "Tabitha and Kirche both cast their strongest spells yet all they did was tick it off and give it a light coating of ash. Your spells on the other hand no matter what they were had carved craters in the golems hide."

Louise blinked back tears, looking back at the recovering golem, his/its arm was rising back up. On its head where she had been casting were several cavities, small marks about the size of pots but most certainly there.

"You can see it," Dove added as the golem finally noticed them farther down the clearing and started moving forward. "Their best efforts couldn't so much as mark it yet every single one of your spells could, you are a strong mage, just in need of the right spell."

The golem was just behind them now. Still holding Louise, Dove dogged to the side as the arm came down again. A screech followed closely on the boom as Tabitha and Kirche came down on Sylphid.

"Get on," Dove said and pushed Louise towards the obvious dragon.

"You should to," Tabitha added as Kirche pulled Louise up.

"Bah, I'm fine," Dove said waving with her left hand while reaching for Derf with her right.

Turning she saw that the golem had staggered to its feet. "What defeats dirt? Lightning takes out water, air can end fire or fan it. But what put the kibosh on dirt?" Dove mused.

The golem wasn't forthcoming in an answer, instead it raised its arm for another smashing attack.

"Oh well, beating the crap out of it always worked for me anyways," Dove decided, charging the golem. She paused for a second when she was close then dogged to the side as the hand came down again.

Running up the arm Dove slammed Derf into where the elbow would be.

The golem lifted its arm waved it in the air trying to dislodge the Dragonborn.

Dove hung on for dear life as the air whipped around her. Suddenly the arm under her gave way and with a yelp she crashed to the ground.

"Hey partner," Derf called, "are you alright?"

Dove groaned and sat up. As she jerked to her feet the arm she had cut from the golem started reforming from the rubble.

"Ruth, Zu'u vis ni kron med daar,' Dove growled. (I cannot win like this)

"Partner?" Derf sounded concerned, "Don't blink out on me. What are you saying?"

Dove blinked and shook her head. "Nothing," she growled glaring at the golem, "just that I can't kill that thing like this."

Then Dove dropped her jaw.

She promised that no one would find that irresponsible girls body, she would turn full dragon and eat her for this.

Just behind the golem, descending in a sphere of what she recognized as wind magic was Louise. Clutched in her arms was a strange dark green tube.

Upon touching the ground Louise started swing the staff thing around as if expecting some kind of result.

The golem started to turn towards the new threat on the field, recognizing the item it was supposed to defend it started towards the pink mage. Dove moved as fast as she could. Before the golem was even half turned she had reached the wildly swinging and screeching girl.

"Is that the staff of destruction?" Dove asked quickly setting Derflinger down. Louise nodded and handed the tube over to Dove.

Dove couldn't for the life of her understand what the tube was supposed to do, it was too short to be a staff yet to long to be a wand.

But

When the 'staff' touched her hands she just knew.

'The M72-series light anti-tank weapon (LAW) is a lightweight, self-contained, anti-armor weapon consisting of a rocket packed in a launcher. It is man-portable, may be fired from either shoulder.'

She had no idea where the thought came from, no idea how she knew it or what terms like 'rocket pack' or 'anti-tank' could possibly mean, she just knew how to use it.

Turning to face the golem she pulled a pin, elongated the tube and flipped up the sight.

Louise stood in minor shock as she watched her familiar fiddle with the powerful staff.

Twisting around Dove aimed at the living pile of rubble.

Nothing could prepare Louise for the boom as a small trail of smoke left the staff and raced into the golem.

Dove was almost blown back off her feet by the explosion as it blew over her and rubble flew past her.

"So," Dove thought out loud, "I guess really big booms defeat dirt."

The golems head and upper chest area was simply no longer there and the rest of its body fell to pieces around the hole.

Dove smirked but then suddenly paled and tossed the 'staff' aside and darted for the fallen Louise.

"Louise!" She shouted, panic in her voice and worry in her eyes. The girl was fine, she assured herself of that but it had been a near thing with the detonation so close.

After a second Louise answered, "I-I'm alright, Dove, just a bit shaken."

"Louise, I'm sorry," Dove apologized, "I should have told you to duck or something."

"That was amazing," Louise said looking at the still collapsing golem body, "how did you know how to do that?"

Dove glanced at the tube, "I have no idea, I just knew."

"YOU ARE AMAZING!" Kirche shouted as she ran up and hugged the maid. "You are the most incredible person I know if you can use such powerful items, you are the best!"

Louise frowned and pushed down the stab of anger at the Germainian holding her familiar so close.

"Where is Fouquet?" The monotone of Tabitha broke the celebration.

"That's right, where is the thief?" Kirche asked out loud as she remembered their second reason for being here.

"She must be close," Dove said looking around and getting to her feet.

A clicking sound came from just behind them and they saw Miss Longueville picking up the 'staff'.

"You guys did very well," she complemented them before glancing at the tube, "Staff of Destruction describes this thing very well, it certainly destroyed my golem rather easily."

"Your golem?" Kirche asked unable to believe her ears.

Dove, however got the message immediately, "Your Fouquet the thief."

"Don't move!" Fouquet called out sharply as Dove had reflexively dropped into her ready stance even though Derf lay a good five feet from her.

"So, Longueville," Dove started, "or do you prefer Fouquet? Why did you steal the staff of destruction then lead us to it? That seems needlessly complex to me."

Fouquet apparently decided to indulge in classic evil villain clichés by answering and giving Dove a chance to look for an opening. "Even though I stole the Staff of Destruction I was in a bind because I couldn't figure out how to make the thing work. I was sure that someone from the institute of magic would know how to get this to work."

Dove noticed that the thief's stance wasn't ready for the kick back of the LAW, her knees were locked like she was just standing there. How could she use that to disarm the mage?

"My plan." Fouquet continued spilling her guts, "was slightly off in that a bunch of student's cam instead of instructors."

"Ya, most of them are absolute nikrinn," Dove interrupted

"But I thought that Louise's familiar would be able to pull it off since she is Gandalfr, however," she fixed her eyes on the crouched Dove. "I thank you for figuring it out for me Dove, I never would have learned how to use it if you didn't use it once. Now goodbye."

Two things happened at once, Fouquet clicked the trigger and Dove started chuckling.

No boom.

Fouquet blinked and looked at the staff as she clicked the button again and again, she started to feel unnerved by the sound of laughter and the lack of explosions. She looked up at the maid who mocked her.

"I have no idea how I knew how to use that weapon, Fouquet, I just knew upon holding the tube what I needed to know to use it." Doves small smirk grew, "I just remembered something I learned when I touched it, would you like to know what I remembered?" Dove took a step closer and Fouquet took a step back clicking the trigger again and again.

"That thing only has one shot," Dove dropped the bomb on the now terror stricken Thief/Mage.

Fouquet's nerve completely left her, she dropped the useless staff and swept her wand out of her robes, incantation on her lips.

"Zun Haal Viik!"

'The spell left Dove without any foci' Tabitha thought. Fouquet shrieked as her wand leapt out of her hand and clattered to the ground over twenty feet away.

Dove didn't wait for the wand to land as she leapt forwards. She didn't like fighting hand to hand but there had been times where that was all that she could do, surprisingly or unsurprisingly most of these hand to hand events happened in bars and taverns across Skyrim.

Dove lead with a straight right jab that caught the thief on the nose, snapping her head back and caused her hands to grab at her face.

Dove moved in for a left cross and an uppercut that left Fouquet staggering back.

The thief didn't even try to fight the superior brawler and turned, running for her wand.

Dove growled, the thief had run away from her before, there was no way that she was going to let the Joor escape again.

Darting after her Dove grabbed a hand full of her cloak. "You know, I am very disappointed in you," Dove said almost conversationally.

Fouquet struggled vainly against the iron grip of the maid. "I mean; I am disappointed with mages in general. You guys are all so proud of the fact that you can throw a spell around, and to be fair many of these spells are powerful and would be devastating on the battle field."

Dove started reeling in the struggling mage like an expert fly fisher, "but remove your wands, throw away your guy's staffs and you are nothing but weak. There simply isn't another word that I would use to describe you."

Louise 's jaw dropped at the words from her familiar's mouth, 'she couldn't mean that. Could she?' Louise thought.

Kirche huffed and turned away.

Tabitha looked on in silence. She knew that the wand or staff was the week spot for most mages, but she also knew that said mages would hold on to that tool with all their might and wouldn't normally be easily disarmed. Yet this person seemed to do just that with disturbing ease.

Next to her Sylphid keened, 'sister, eater is here.'

Tabitha looked over at the source of the voice in her head. Sylphid had taken to calling Dovahkiin eater, and when she smelled her Tabitha always went on edge.

Dove finished pulling her catch in by the time she finished talking and gave the women's head a hard elbow strike, rendering her unconscious.

Dove turned and all three mages took a step back, the maids normally blue eyes were a deep golden shade and her pupils were silted like a reptile.

Dove blinked and they suddenly were normal. "What's wrong guys?" Dove asked noticing the frightened look on Kirche's face and the warry look on Tabitha's

Louise was actually looking proud almost giddy.

Tabitha narrowed her own eyes. "Dovahkiin," she accused.

Dove and Louise both blinked. "Dovahkiin?" Dove repeated, "Why are you talking about Dovahkiin?"

"You are Dovahkiin," Tabitha stated looking her target dead in the eyes.

Dove barked a laugh, "I might be missing a few pounds and scales to be Dovahkiin."

Surprisingly it was Kirche who spoke next, "your eyes changed when you beat Miss Longueville up."

Dove jerked her head, blinking her eyes and looking for some reflective surface. 'Did they?' She wondered, 'is my Dovah sol so strong that it can be seen when I am a Bosmer?'

"You used magic without a wand," Tabitha continued actually sounding angry instead of her usual monotone.

"I… My people always could do that," Dove said quickly hoping that her skills on making up believable thing on the fly would save her.

Tabitha shrugged, "Maybe they can, how many can shout like a dragon?"

"Shout like a dragon? Dragons don't shout spells," Dove said.

"Lier, you said they do a few days ago," Tabitha said and Kirche nodded.

Dove was stuck in the provable hole, and now Tabitha was burying her alive. Nothing but the truth would satisfy her.

Defeated, Dove sighed, praying that she won't regret this and nodded, "I am Dovahkiin, I am the dragon hunter child."

Tabitha kept silent but her eyes were that of a judge listening to a final plea before sentencing.

"I come from a land called Skyrim where dragons are the children of the god of time and the sun, Akatosh. The first born, Alduin," Tabitha raised an eyebrow obviously remembering the conversation on the road.

"He decided that the birth right of all dragons, and him above all others was the domination of all the mortal races. Man, Beast people, Mer, it didn't matter to him. However, some dragons taught their most powerful skill, the ability to shout in dragon's tongue to mortals. With this power the first 'dragon born' as they were known, fought and defeated Alduin."

Dove decided to leave the Elder scrolls out of the story to make things simpler.

"Dragons were eventually almost all killed and entombed where they fell. They were immortal and would come back unless they were sealed away with a special ritual."

Kirche shivered at the idea of such powerful beasts. She felt a little jealous that one didn't become hers.

"Alduin then came back thousands of years later when most believed dragons to have been nothing but a myth and started resurrecting them, freeing them from their tombs and returning them to the state they were in before this all happened. Angered by his son's actions Akatosh created the last Dragonborn, me."

Kirche frowned, "The last? And what do you mean by created?"

Dove shook her head, "I don't exactly understand it all myself, basically there are two kinds of Dragonborn, those who have the Dovah Sos, or dragons blood. They are Akatosh's favored servants who prayed for power and can learn to use the thu'um or dragons voice. Then there are those who actually have a dragons' soul. Those are given their power directly from Akatosh. I am one such Dragonborn."

Kirche gave Dove a look, causing Dove to look at her questioning. "OH, you still want an explanation for 'the last' part right?"

Kirche nodded.

"Well, Alduin was bringing back dragons and would have basically ended the world. There was a prophesy that 'the last' Dragonborn would kill the dragon of the apocalypse and save everyone. When Alduin made his grand reentrance into the world by burning down a town it awakened my power making me 'the last'."

Tabitha glared, "the shapeshifting?"

Dove shrugged, "I have no idea where that came from, I couldn't do that before. Something about coming here gave me that ability. I can only guess the magic of my homeland mixing with the magic of your land."

Tabitha tilted her head, a thoughtful look on her face. Dove felt like she was slowly climbing out of the hole. "What does this dragon soul do to you?"

Dove looked at her curiously, "It allows me to learn the thu'um easier and fight dragons on equal footing. Something that I had to do quite often since Alduin started bringing dragons back to life and they started trying to dominate the world all over again. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Tabitha said looking at anything but Dove.

Kirche snorted, "She was plotting your death. Apparently you have her convinced that you will eat her familiar Sylphid, that you are a cannibal dragon or something else besides a true dragon. A natural predator of dragons or something like that."

Dove gave an uneasy laugh as Tabitha shot a quick look at Kirche.

"That might be the best way to describe me," Dove admitted. Tabitha looked at her in confusion so Dove expounded. "I was made to stop Alduin, at least until it is time for him to end the world. To do so I look like the dragon's prey, mortals, yet I have a dragon's soul, so when I kill a dragon I consume its soul just like any other dragon."

Tabitha was suddenly back on the alert and Dove felt that uncomfortable sinking feeling again. Honesty was the best policy but her mother always said she didn't know when to stop telling it and get in trouble because of that.

Tabitha didn't move her eyes from the threat but she slowly moved in-between it and her familiar.

The tableau was broken by Louise. "Tabitha," she called out to the blue haired girl gaining her attention. "You have my word as a noble that Dovahkiin won't eat your familiar," she continued, "you should know that a familiar doesn't hurt another noble's familiar unless they are ordered to by their mage, that includes if they are natural predators. Why are you so afraid of mine?"

Tabitha blinked, she had honestly forgotten about that, why had she?

Dove sank a little in on herself, "are you afraid of me Tabitha?" She hated when people feared her. She could take being hatred but not being feared.

Tabitha looked at Louise calmly, and nodded.

Dove looked at the mage, "I'm sorry that I frightened you, Tabitha, I don't want to eat Sylphid, I wouldn't gain anything apart from your anger and she hasn't done anything to hurt me first. Please can we just forget this ever happened?"

Tabitha kept looking at Dove, trying to determine if this was a trap, a way to make her lower her guard. Suddenly the sky went dark and Tabitha blinked. Looking up she saw that the sky was darkened by Sylphid passing over her.

Sylphid had stood listening to big sister and the other argue with eater Dovahkiin. Deciding to take things into her talons she walked over and stopped right in front of Dovahkiin. Sniffing the dragon-human she slowly lowered her head until it was lower than Dovahkiin's, almost like a bow.

'I think we can trust her big sister,' she sent back to Tabitha.

* * *

 **You may buy your pitch forks and tourches on amazon.**

 **Because I feel the need to explain,**

 **Imagin the worlds of FOZ and earth tied together with a string, this string is how the items that come from Earth end up in FOZ. now imagine a white haired man walking up to the string with a pair of sizors, (HEY! I know you couldn't keep me out of your story forever)**

 **This UNAMED person has cut the string and ran it over to another world just above a certain woman as Louise casts her spell**

 **(Saving her life from an ambush)**

 **Then the White haired person takes the string back to the other string and ties them together again**

 **(using a double NOT)**

 **Gives the readers a salute with his tongue out and leaves.**

 **And that is my theory of how Dovahkiin ended up in FOZ but left items from Earth in the world**

 **(Unless I decide to add more! Just think, I could untie that string and slam a round of cheese the size of Mehrunes Dagon's arse on them all!)**

 **Please ignore him.**

 **(!I'LL BE BACK!)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Life not fair**

 **that my brother should be king of pride rock**

 **Skyrim and Familiar of Zero shouldn't be owned by me**

 **but you**

 **will never live to see another day**

 **heehee**

 **won't you?**

 **(name this botched quote)**

* * *

 **Jackalope89: I think there were more dragonborns then Miraak and Dovahkiin.**

 **alexkehling: QUIT MENTIONING HIM, I brought him in twice and managed to escape with only his minor ramblings, if we keep talking about him he might come back!**

 **oh, and the idea that the souls already within Dovahkiin confusing Sylphid is a rather good one.**

 **Boyzilla: Ya, thinking back A fight before Tabitha finding out would have made the chapter better but they both decided to drop the idiot ball for now.**

 **Perfectshade: I'm sure the book on dragon reproduction is just laying around somewhere, maybe next to the lusty maid. Brute force is a rather Nordic way of life so of course that is how Dove would handle things. thanks, I felt like I was miss writing Louise because she wasn't shouting. I try to be unpredictable, that is why my story is like this. Honesty is the best policy, Kirche understands that except where it doesn't suit her. Finally I just didn't want a crap ton of PMs about 'how can there be something from earth?' or 'why didn't you make the staff of Magnus the staff of destruction,' and all that junk so I gave a reason for both existing.**

 **.**

 **bleach96269: A PAIRING SUGGESTION!**

 **Dove/Kirche**

 **will be considered.**

 **.**

 **Me Myself and I: Matilda didn't realize that Dove is Dovahkiin, or that she is Galdalfr, she was thankful that someone figured out how to use the stupid thing and complained that it wasn't who she thought would figure it out. The idea of getting the Galdalfr was part of the anime, complain to the original writer if you think it was a idiot ball moment.**

 **GrimKid98: Now Tabitha has updated her status from 'actively trying to kill and dragon' to 'wairy of dragon shapeshifter.'**

 **Drakefire: yes the UNNAMED INDIVIDUAL did it, as I told alexkehling, I don't want to draw his attention.**

 **Bl4nk: I read that the first recorded, if I'm remembering correctly, use of the voice was by a saint who entered into a pact with Akotosh.** **Yes dragons in game couldn't be full scale but I have stated that Dovahkiin is twice as big as Slphid I think is about the size of an in game skyrim dragon. Dovahkiin is 'small' for her kind dragon but she's much more powerful then others.** **I'm not an expert on magic, but I do agree that it is a lot like art. Skill, natural or accumulated will determine how good you are.** **The main reason that Dove hasn't mentioned other quests is because I haven't played all of them.**

 **Yes this is a copy of my PM response, I just didn't feel like rewriting everything here.**

 **PEJP Dengtone V2: NO, Most of them, we discussed the ones I didn't know, look it up, I am debating having Dove actually afraid of gunpowder, what do you think?**

 **Diggin: Those sound like things I should look into, are those references you suggested for FOZ or skyrim? Dragons are more Dremora the animal... I could see that, BUT I WILL MAKE THEM MORE ANIMAL, I think Akotosh would plan for when his childrens numbers starts to drop into the lower double digits.**

 **GGFBank: Unrelenting Force is the most incredible visual shout in my option, other shouts though are better for fighting since they cause direct harm to the enemy.**

 **Akshka: Here it is.**

* * *

Dove stood ready, hands at her side but her magicka running through them. Tabitha stood with her staff outstretched, feet at ninety degrees and legs bowed just a little bit. The only thing keeping a fight from breaking out was the large blue dragon bowing to the relaxed looking one.

Tabitha glared at the threat, stubbornly maintaining that word as the best description of Dove, but was also trying to understand the actions of her familiar. 'Why?' She asked in her mind.

Sylphid gave her a confused look, 'She hasn't hurt us.'

Tabitha raised an eyebrow, 'You were afraid of her,'

If a dragon could look sheepish then Sylphid did at that moment.

"Are you two talking telepathically?" The voice of the threat surprised the two mind talkers and they glanced over at the light brunet.

"I have occasionally seen people talk though methods that weren't their voices and you two look like some that spoke mentally," Dove said calmly.

Surprised at being caught Tabitha nodded before she caught herself.

Dove sighed and then asked with real curiosity, "what did she say?"

Tabitha looked at Sylphid, Sylphid nodded to her big sister. "That she thinks we can trust you," Tabitha admitted.

"Awww!" Dove breathed happily, "Thank you Sylphid," She walked the pace and a half up to Sylphid and gave the dragon's head a large hug.

Tabitha whipped her staff down, spell on her lips at the sudden movement. She hated that Sylphid had moved into her field of attack, only to stop at the sound of Sylphid crooning softly as Dove scratched just behind her jaw bone.

Tabitha was dumb struck as she hadn't managed to get Sylphid to croon like that in all the time they had known each other.

Dove eventually stopped hugging and scratching Sylphid (to her minor whine) and turned to Tabitha.

"Hey Louise," she called to her summoner without moving her gaze from the still ready to attack, but shocked mage. "Do you think these two can keep our other secret?" She asked pretty sure she knew what Louise would say.

Louise bit her lip, "do you think that we should? One of them was planning on killing you, how can you trust them already?"

Dove nodded, looking like a fool to Louise. "They know about the shapeshifting," Dove pointed out, "and now that I've mentioned another secret they won't rest until they know it."

"Yup," Kirche chirped from her place on the sidelines.

The pink one just rolled her eyes like Dove knew she would.

Louise grumbled, "I guess they can know the rest, it might keep people who should know better from trying to kill you." Her pointed look had Tabitha looking down in obvious shame.

Dove pulled back from the dragon and reached for her head. "Where I come from there are more species than just human," she said to the curious mages, "There are the beast people, men and women who have lizard scales or cat fur. There are humans who we all know about. Finally, there are the Mer, these people are also known as elves. Not like your elves just similar in appearances."

She pulled off her head piece at let her ears flick forwards.

Kirche gaped at the elven maid, for some reason instead of the expected fear and terror the only thing she could think of was '...that completes her outfit rather well,' and instantly her ingrained response started to undress the maid. 'Maybe Louise is right and I have my head to deep into the smut.'

Tabitha took this revelation rather well, still thinking over how she could have forgotten that Familiars couldn't kill another without their mages direct order. She saw this as an attempt to pacify her. Dove had learned of Tabitha's ability to talk mentally with Sylphid and in return was giving Tabitha a secret of her own.

Tabitha appreciated the gesture.

Tabitha let her staffs point sink down until it was touching the ground before moving closer. "Sorry, forgive me?" Tabitha asked hoping for forgiveness.

Dove tilted her head for a second. "Sure, but only if we are friends as well," she finally decided and leapt forward to pick the smaller girl up in a hug that lifted the blue haired girl about a foot off the ground.

"…Fine."

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"We have handed Fouquet over to the palace guards, and the staff of Destruction has been secured in the palace vaults," Old Osmond said to the four girls in front of him. After they had returned with the thief in hand and Osmond had finally gotten over the sorrow of losing Miss Longueville, they had gathered with Professor Colbert in his office to be debriefed. "That puts an end to these matters. You are all guests of honor for tonight's banquet."

Dove and Kirche spoke at the same time, "That's _I'm_ to _going to_ be _have to make_ expected. _that banquet don't I?_ " Both blushed at the mess they made.

Osmond ignored their mixed speech, "The palace thinks very highly of your conduct in this incident, I am certain that some reward will be given to all four of you."

Kirche perked up, bouncing a little. "Really? A reward from the palace?" She asked all happy at the idea of a reward like that could be.

"If that is all I would like to have a private word with miss Dove here," Osmond said dismissing the others. They bowed and quickly filed out.

Osmond faced Dove. "It has been a while since we were able to talk Miss Dove, how are you faring in this new land?"

Dove smiled at the pleasantries, "I am doing fine my lord. Why have you asked me to wait behind? I don't think it was just to ask such a simple question."

Osmond sighed as she skipped over the polite conversation in favor of getting to the important bits. "You're right," he said, "I wanted to ask you about what we had discussed before, about if you were willing to take classes in our magic." He avoided mentioning his interest in learning her own kind of magic.

Dove looked thoughtful, she stood there thinking for what could have been ten seconds but internally felt like years.

Within her different parts were arguing over what she should do.

Her companion side warned that it would be much harder to hide her ears and nature from the students if she spent more time with them. It also noted that the servants stuck together, they were like a large family more than fellow employees, yet the nobles were obviously divided between themselves, looking for and flaunting advantages their families or positions gave them. The point to this reasoning was that if her secret got out then there would be people who would try and take advantage of her, while others would try and kill her outright.

Her Arch-mage side felt that learning a new form of magic would be an incredible experience and could only help her at this point. It admitted that there would be a problem with her ears but there could be ways to hide them. Besides, people would try and get to know her to see if they could use her anyways since she was a complete wild card to their way of life. Another point for going with this decision was that she could stay close to protect Louise like she had promised and she might learn something that could help her with her growing dragon mentality.

Decision made she spoke, "Lord Osmond, I would be honored if I could attend your classes and learn of your style of magic."

Osmond smiled happily at his newest student. "Thank you, I am very happy to hear you chose that my lady. I do hope you can learn quickly since most mages your age are already graduated," he said laying down a challenge.

Dove smiled, "I am a fast learner," accepting the gauntlet.

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Surprisingly enough Dove didn't have to make the banquet, Martone had all but pushed her out of the kitchen when she had come to take over saying that it was her day and that she was a guest of honor at the banquet so she shouldn't have to spend her time preparing it as well.

After learning of her temporary banishment from the kitchen Dove didn't know exactly what to do with herself. She had spent so little time doing anything else around the academy that she now had nothing to do.

The only thing she could think of falling back onto now was traveling around on roads looking for something to do. Trouble would often find her on the road, assassins, giants, dragons, and the like seemed to almost be drawn to her whenever she set foot outside any civilization. But, if she was being honest, that was also how she met most of the interesting people in her life.

Decision made she started off down the road.

Forests where almost boring without assassins, giants or dragons. After the first half an hour looking at trees things got unbelievably boring, the problem was that every other tree looked like its neighbor, in most forests there was some diversity in the foliage yet here there wasn't a single difference to some of the trees.

Dove hadn't gone far into the woods since she needed to get back in time to prepare for the banquet tonight yet she hadn't found anything to alleviate her boredom.

The forest was rather calm and peaceful and incredibly boring to the dragon slayer.

Nothing but almost identical trees as far as the eye could see. She had been told that there was danger in the woods and that anyone traveling within them would get hurt but now it just looked like that was an excuse to keep people in the academy.

Deciding that there wasn't much more she could do Dove turned and started back towards the academy.

Whooo~

Freezing she turned. Dove had taken a slightly diferent path back hoping for something interesting, and wasn't let down. Dove knew that sound anywhere. A cave, just like any of the thousands that dotted the land of Skyrim was somewhere nearby and a cave would give her something new to explore.

Turning towards the sound of air exiting the ground Dove reflected on how odd this was, 'most people take up a hobby or talk with friends to ease their boredom yet I go looking for caves and hope for dangerous monsters to attack me.'

Technically this could be described as a hobby, or a personality flaw, she admitted, but most hobbyists didn't have as much danger or thrill as hers.

Hidden from her sight when she had passed by the first time was a large stand of oaks with a small rock out cropping standing between the gnarled tree trunks with a small entrance at the base of one mossy stone which was where the sound came from.

'This looked a lot like the smugglers den where I found all those red guards, just with more trees,' Dove thought as she got down onto her hands and knees.

The hole in the ground was only as high as her hips and surprisingly rather dry as far as ground level holes go.

Dove started down the tunnel that soon proved to be a rather long dark crawl. 'What kind of seismic events make tunnels like this anyway?' Dove wondered as she remembered all the strange caves that she had ended up in over the entire range of Skyrim.

Suddenly there was a faint light at the end of her tunnel accompanied by the sound of flowing water. The tunnel started getting larger as she continued, soon she could stand up which she did, stretching her back a little as she continued forwards.

The tunnel ended in a large room, the walls were all earthen but they had moss growing right up them making everything look green. The light came down from a large hole in the celling that also allowed a clear stream of water to flow down through the air to splash into a large equally clear pond.

Apart from the soft moss there was an abundance of mushrooms and plants that grew around the lip of the pool.

Dove grinned as she recognized most of the plants that grew down here. Her interest in cooking had started with her frustration at how bad everything tasted when she had to put plants in an alchemic potion and so her skill with making things taste good had grown out of a desire to fix that.

She knew most of these plants; they could be used as potions and most didn't taste like troll fat, so she had remembered them.

Moving past the nostalgic plants she walked over to the water itself. The clear water allowed her to see right on down to the gravely bottom. Reaching down Dove cupped a hand full of the cold water and lifted it up to drink.

The water was clear and as cold as she had thought it was, almost like snow melt but just barely above that level of cold.

Dove looked around sizing up the entire cavern; around seventy-five feet in diameter, covered in soft moss and alchemic plants, flowing clean water, and a difficult entrance.

To the left of the entrance was another tunnel, this one as large as a person standing up.

Through it was a much darker area almost thirty feet deep and twenty wide in an oval shape and surprisingly a natural stone floor.

All together it was a perfect little hole in the ground to call her own.

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Louise had arrived a little later than most to the banquet. As she was announced to the guests who had already arrived she looked around feeling like the guest of honor that the headmaster had said she would be. Most of the boys looked at her with awe and obvious appreciation of her dress, the other girls looked honestly jealous of the attention she gathered.

The room was lit by several large chandeliers giving everything a golden glow, even the walls and floor seemed to glow. It complemented her light pink dress and white gloves. Her dress as mentioned before was pink with small puffs on the neckline that hung just off her shoulders and ribbons across the front. Her hair was in a soft ponytail held there by a golden hair piece that matched the thick neckless around her neck.

Several boys requested her hand in a dance as she made her way around the room looking for her familiar and the other honored guests.

The easiest to find was Kirche as she was surrounded by the largest group of boys, laughing pleasantly at a joke or witty thing one had said. All of them trying to get at least a date and most likely more later from her.

Her dress was a violet that was almost blue with a lighter shade down the front starting at her breasts and going all the way down to her hem. Her gloves were of the same color and her hips were accented with three large red stones across her front. Altogether it accented her darker skin tone and made her red hair stand out.

Still looking around the room she finally accepted a dance with a young boy in green. As they danced she finally saw Tabitha over by the food table wearing an unflattering green dress that honestly looked more like a night gown then a dress.

The dance ended quickly and she curtsied to her dance partner. As she left the dance floor a voice called out, "ladies and gentlemen, announcing The assistant chef Dove!"

'She finally arrived,' Louise thought to herself a little annoyed at the late familiar as she turned with the others to watch Doves entrance.

Dove came up the stairs looking like she wanted to go back down them. Louise saw to her relief that Dove had what looked like silver leafs in her hair that hid her ears and went around her head like a minor crown.

The rest of the dress was a soft gold that in the light of the chandeliers definitely glowed more than anyone else's. The top around her shoulders and chest was embroidered in small flowers and leafs that continued down to her waist where they disappeared into a ribbon like belt. The dress came down to her mid-calf in a lighter cream color that still had some larger golden flowers stitched into it just under the ribbon. Around her neck was a choker made from the same embroidery that covered the rest of her body. Her feet, unlike most of the others there were visible and were clad in low heels up to her calf that were a much deeper cream then the rest of her.

Instantly boys around her clamored for her to dance with them, some even left Kirche to start talking to her. Dove gave each of them polite smile but she took a step back as the fifteenth boy made his way over.

Deciding to help her familiar Louise quickly walked over and grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry sirs," she quickly apologized at the boys surprised looks, "I think she looks a little thirsty." Instantly half left to go to the food table for refreshments.

The other half looked over at their comrades, jealous that they hadn't been fast enough to get the beautiful lady some refreshment.

And now she was gone, as they turned back to try and make up with words for not getting her something they all found her and Louise to be gone from amidst them.

"Thank you, I will name my firstborn after you," Dove said in mock fealty as she followed Louise away from the group.

"What's wrong?" Louise teased her familiar, "is the big scary dragon afraid of all those boys?"

Dove giggled, "only when they are in a group, too many memories of getting mobbed by things best left in the Dwemer ruins."

"What is a Dwemer?" Kirche and Tabitha walked up to the other honored guests just in time to hear the conversation.

Dove gave the others a nod of greeting, noticing that the boys seemed to almost be intimidated by the four standing close together, closing off their own little circle in the crowd.

"The Dwemer," Dove answered, "were a type of Mer that were known for great cities and incredible creations made out of metal and stone. They made things that were still in working order even though they had been long abandoned."

Louise looked interested, "I don't remember you mentioning them to me when I asked you about the Mer before."

"I left them out because there aren't any left after they vanished," Dove said sadly. She elaborated at their confused looks. "Something happened in their mines and homes, from the remains we can only conclude that they just fell over dead or turned to ash on the spot hundreds of years ago leaving everything where they left it. In one of the un-looted ruins I 'visited' there was literally a knife and fork on a plate stuck in a piece of very old meat."

Tabitha looked confused, "No remains?" She asked.

Dove shook her head, "Nothing. Nothing to give us any indication that anything was wrong up to the point the Dwemer apparently dropped dead without leaving a body."

"That's rather scary," Kirche said imagining everyone she knew suddenly vanishing, "So Dove what did you do before you came here?" Kirche asked unsure of what could cause someone to enter a mine like that.

"Surprisingly enough I was a bard," Dove admitted outright.

Really?" Kirche asked, her interest peaked.

Dove nodded, "I left my ancestral home to live in Skyrim so that I could attend the bards' college. I spent a while learning there and then traveled around the entire land of Skyrim plying my trade. Later I visited the rest of the empire, getting into occasional trouble along the way." She rubbed her neck at the last part.

Kirche, Louise, and Tabitha, as well as a few people around them gave her looks that obviously wanted more details.

"Trouble?" Tabitha prompted.

"I might have gotten picked up by some solders fighting a little civil war at one point," Dove admitted sheepishly, "that was actually the first time I saw a dragon."

"Really?" Louise asked, glad of the insight about her familiar she was getting.

"Yes," Dove said, "I was going to get my head chopped off just for being near the rebel leader during the fighting when a dragon, larger than Dovahkiin, landed on the tower and started razing the entire town to the ground."

Dove looked sad in her memories, "I got up and ran, dodging burring buildings, people, burning people, it was a mess."

The rapt crowd sighed sadly.

"After that," Dove said quickly, "I gained a taste for adventure and started visiting ruins, magic colleges, and even traveled to the top of the highest mountain in Skyrim, the land is basically more up and down then flat."

"Why did you do that?" Kirche asked, "you probably could have stayed with your trade and made a living singing so why did you willingly do all that?"

Dove rubbed her neck, "I had my reasons."

"Sounds nice, apart from the dying," Louise said pulling the crowds attention away from her uncomfortable familiar.

"It was," Dove said reminiscing.

" _HERE IS YOUR DRINK MBYEULOTVEIFUL."_ The voice of over seven boys all in sync except for what they called Dove interrupted what else the girls might have said.

Dove jumped a little and beheld the group of young men all of whom were offering her some kind of drink.

She just sighed in defeat, 'I should have brought Derflinger'.

* * *

 **So about five hundred words shorter then I would have liked but this felt like the best stopping place for now.**

 **Also, I have basically no idea why I gave Dove a little hole in the ground to call her own, I just did.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Shalom**

 **Didn't hear you come in.**

 **By now you should know that I don't own Skyrim, Familiar of Zero, or the computer I am typing on**

 **That's right**

 **I stole all three and now am living it up on the moon.**

 **It's rather cold up here**

 **so next I am going to steal a space heater**

 **and if it doesn't heat the entirety of space then I will sue the company I stole the device from.**

* * *

 **Jackalope89: OK, if you needed a necklace to determine if you were a dragon born and the emperor was the one holding it then I guess there could have been dragon borns who didn't know what they were.**

 **Guest: it will be considered.**

 **alexkehling: Sure, lets go with that as the reason why I gave Dove a hole in the ground to call her own. I prefer not to mention either of those two if DP or Sheo are listening then I will have to pull out the bug/4thwallbreacker repellent.**

 **Boyzilla: you're welcome.**

 **Drakefire: I know right? I had heard that it was considered taboo to go to banquets/galas/balls in armor or armed in medieval times. You really should seek help for your irrational fear of living this in holes... I was considering putting a few in the hole anyway.**

 **Bl4nk: Ok, where would she get a lot of loot from anyway? there didn't seem to be as much in the FOZ world then the Skyrim one. It will be considered. I'm sure Sheogorath would use protection with Dove.**

 **I just read that last line back and laughed.**

 **Guest: Exactly, that is why it was considered taboo.**

 **helkil: I haven't decided on Doves pairing so its not a lesbian story yet.**

 **Guest(scumbag): If you really want to kill me so much then I will tell you: I live on earth but my right foot lives in Uranus.**

 **perfectshade: I know, people in FOZ need more hugging. Thank you, I just felt that the decision to go back to school for more education would be an important one, like going to college after getting a job. I personally am not a very impulsive person, I like schedules and keeping to them so I felt that Dove should get to be more impulsive then me. Should I be concerned that you suggestion for my little hole is for a body drop? No fists, slight magicka instead.**

 **Guest: Great, you congratulate you on your own hole... just remember MINES BIGGER!**

 **tylermech66: Thank you, you are the second review to mention that reference. Halkeganian elves related to Dwemer... I don't think so, their cultures are rather different with the Dwemer being more logical and 'metal minded' while the Halkeganian elves are more spiritual. It's a good idea though, I would have to consider it.**

* * *

 **!PAIRINGS!**

 **the list of people being considered are:**

 **Kirche**

 **Siesta**

 **Alduin**

 **The Nerevarine (the Dunmer hero of Marrowind)**

 **Sylphid/Lilococoo**

 **(ps I find it disgusting that you went so low as to say that this pairing would justify Tabitha's fear that Dove would 'eat' Sylphid, if you have anymore such vulgar ideas then I would like to hear them)**

 **Honestly the better I can visualize the pairing the more likely it is to be chosen.**

 **That doesn't mean pm me with porn!**

 **it means give me reasons that the pairing you are supporting will be better than the others.**

 **!PAIRINGS!**

* * *

Dove groaned as she felt her legs burn.

The night of the banquet had been fun, and she had enjoyed the food that Martone had seemed to make just for her. He had baked enough of her favorite style of roast venison to feed the party goers on that alone and had enough spring water with raspberry and strawberry slices floating in it to flood her room.

The less fun part for her was when she had been approached for dances. It felt like everyone who wasn't after Kirche for the night was after her. Louise had been more than a little jealous when people had gone right past her to ask the brunet in gold for a dance.

Dove had eventually broken down over the length of the night and accepted a dance from a few boys, obviously making their day when she had done so. Next had come the boys who wanted to dance as an excuse to talk and try to entice the low born chef to 'be' with them as they let their hands wander over her body a little too far.

All Dove had to do to those a**holes was let her magicka grow cold enough for them to feel the ice in her hands to get them to leave.

'Dependently should have brought Delfinger with me,' Dove had decided as the third such boy had quickly left, brushing the light snow off of his shoulders.

After the all of the jerks had gotten the idea, the rest of the night had been nothing less than pleasant, the food was good, the rest of the boys had gotten the idea that she wouldn't appreciate their attempts to bed her and had just come for a dance.

Now the only problem was that she had almost literally danced the night away and was now too tired to stand.

But she had a job to do, lunch was being served and she needed to pass it out with the rest of the staff.

After she placed her tray down and unloaded her delivery of soft bread and sausages she started to feel the strain. Picking up her tray and started to feel the weakness spreading past her knees she quickly made it back to the kitchen.

"Dove, are you feeling alright?" The sweet worried voice of Siesta greeted the weary cook.

"No," Dove admitted, "I need to sit down and rest, living here seems to have robbed me of my adventurers' stamina."

Polite, gods sent, (at least to Dove right now) Siesta had a chair ready before Dove had finished talking.

Sinking gratefully down Dove sat there watching the kitchen move. It was almost like watching a living creature, seeing the kitchen function. Watching Martone send out waiters and maids loaded down with his and Doves creations as he stirred, tossed, and chopped the next thing to be made was like how she thought the brain would send signals to the rest of the body while it processed and made decisions for it.

"- he will have to meet you later."

Dove blinked and looked over at Siesta, a little guilty that she had ignored her friend.

"I'm sorry Siesta," she apologized, "I wasn't paying attention, what was that?"

Siesta sighed, she had thought that Dove was paying attention but it seemed that the brunet had the rare ability to fake attentiveness. "I said that the headmaster has requested for you to meet in his office after you get back from the palace. He had said that he would have liked to talk with you earlier but with the summons from the princess you would probably be busy but he still wants to meet with you later."

"Oh, right," Dove grumbled, she had forgotten about the summons to the palace, they were supposedly going to be thanked by the princess herself and was going to receive some kind of reward from her as well.

Dove was just hoping that it was a very nice bed right now.

The palace was a large white complex with circular, blue tipped towers at the corners of and midway along the thirty-foot-high walls. The inner wall was twice as high and had a tower in the center alongside a square tower.

The building and nearby town was set in a forest with a river running by it.

Dove liked the sense that was put into the palace defenses, except that the trees grew right up to the walls in most places giving an invading army perfect cover right up to the wall.

The inside guard was reasonably well maintained with knights practicing on foot and with their familiars in the courtyard. They had also passed a large clearing on the way where even more knights had been practicing with weapons that were to dangerous to use in the confined courtyard.

All activity paused to glance at the newcomers and then returned to their respective work.

"So, why didn't Kirche and Tabitha come with us?" Dove asked as she glanced at the pink girl next to her.

Louise sighed, exasperated that she had to explain such a simple thing. "They are from other countries and so they will be rewarded by their own countrymen."

Dove frowned, "But what they did was only relevant in Tristian, if I did something good in Morrowind I would expect to be rewarded there not back in Skyrim."

"Why?" Louise asked confused.

Dove shook her head, "What meaning does Fouquet have to the other countries? It was apparently only in Tristian that she was a nuisance and threat. So they wouldn't give the proper amount of praise or recognition."

Louise didn't respond. Lost in thought she almost didn't realize they had arrived at their destination. They had arrived at a set of double doors with two guards at to the left and right of them.

The two men reached over and pulled their respective doors open. Inside was a room maybe forty feet by thirty feet with a tile floor that had a red carpet leading to a throne where the princess sat. The walls had golden rectangle designs on them giving the feeling of simple elegance.

Louise walked proudly besides her disguised familiar until she got near to the throne where she bowed her head and gestured for the maid to do so as well.

Dove refused and looked the purple head square in the eye. More like a meeting of equals then maid and princess.

Louise growled at her familiar but jerked her attention back to the front as the princess spoke.

"Congratulations and well done Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière," she said as she stood and came down to face her friend, "I have the pleasure of granting you the title of Chevalier, may you continue to serve the kingdom well."

"Thank you so much your highness," Louise said awed by the honor, "but I am not really worthy of the honor of the title of Chevalier."

The princess would have none of it, "But what you have achieved has made you worthy of it." She addressed the two of them, "both of you lead the charge and caught a thief that has had the palace up in arms for a long time."

Dove looked bored, "Take the name Louise, you deserve the prestige attached to it."

Not the way Henrietta would have said it but it was still true.

"And now for you, maid Dove," the Princess continued turning and walking to stand face to face with the bold maid. "I have heard that you are going to begin learning at the academy of magic."

Louise turned to look at her familiar, surprised at the revelation, "I have heard that your abilities in magic are varied but very powerful that they would be a fine addition to the ranks of nobility," the Princess continued and Dove shrugged, effecting to be uncaring of the events. "As such I am naming you Dove de la Bosquet, baroness."

Louise's jaw dropped and Dove blinked, her bored look dropping for a little bit.

"What?"

Louise grabbed the stupefied maid now noble. "She just gave you prestige, an inherited title, she has made you as good as me in the eyes of the commoners," Louise hissed in the girl's ear.

"Buuahwhat?" Dove de la Bosquet managed with great elegance.

"I'm sorry your highness but I think the baroness requires a moment to gather herself," Louise said simply.

The Princess nodded and the two of them stepped to the side to talk as Dove tried to understand the ramifications of what becoming nobility in Tristian would mean.

It didn't work.

She had no idea what her duties would be or what the effect on her life would be. She couldn't even begin to understand what the word nobility meant here apart from what she had heard from the other servants and seen from the academy.

Both resources seemed to say that 'nobility' meant that you were lazy, entitled snobs and perverts. There were a few people she didn't see acting like that, were those truly 'noble' people?

When she had been given the title thane it was just as shocking to her but there had been a housecarl who explained things to her and helped her realize that the title meant little apart from the prestige, there had been no ruling requirements or things like that with that title, but here, now, she had no idea what was required of her.

Dove paled, 'oh Stendarr's chalice*, how would she lead a group of peasants or servants?' She almost never was the leader of anything.

She could see it now, a group of angry men and women yelling at her because she had done a terrible job and now they were poor and hungry.

"Have you thought it through?"

Dove twisted around, barely keeping her feet. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'HAVE I THOUGHT IT THROUGH?' I DON'T GET IT, WHY ME!"

Louise looked caught between sympathy at her familiars floundering in her new status and rage that anyone would shout at the princess.

Henrietta on the other hand looked like she was expecting such a reaction. "I was hoping that you could help me, so giving you a title would allow you to go places with ease. You are a known servant of the academy, so people won't pay as much attention to you as they would others. Yet you are, from what I hear, a powerful mage skilled in the magic of your homeland that differs from our own and now can use your new title to get commoners to help you."

Dove breathed slowly, 'calm, calming, calmed'... "So you are giving me a position just to help you perform some tasks for you, you are making me responsible for a group of men women and children so that you can have me run an errand."

The calm was leaving her quickly.

The princess shook her head, "No, I think you misunderstood me, I have given you a noble title, the authority to order commoners when needed, not land. You don't have to worry that there might be a village somewhere wondering where their baroness is."

Knowing that helped the calm return to Dove.

"So, what is this task that you want me to do?" Dove remembered why she had been given this 'honor'.

Henrietta breathed out quickly, not a prober sigh of relief but something close to it. "I would like you two," she indicated Louise and Dove, "to remain in the town for a little bit, I would like you to take this permit, sanctioned by the palace I might add, and simply live amongst the peasants. I have heard rumors of nobles who have been treating harshly, without care or dignity."

Dove watched from the sides as the princess held a rolled piece of parchment out to Louise. "When I asked people in the area all of them said that such a thing would never happen as the nobles were good role models for the peasants," The Princess looked at Dove, "However since the exposure of Count Mott I have decided to not just pass them off as rumors. I would like you two to investigate the village, get to know the people as one of their own and report any abuse of authority you find."

Dove grinned, "ALL RIGHT!" She shouted after a second and grabbed the princess into a twirling hug. She really needed to tone down the hugging of people as a way to show her happiness.

"Whaaaaaat!?" Henrietta cried as the world spun around her.

Dove suddenly set her down threw her arms in the air. "THANK YOU AKATOSH!" She screamed at the sky.

Bringing herself back down to inside voice Dove continued, "ever since I came to this county I have been rather angry about how condescending the 'nobles' have been to the common folk. Thank you Princess Henrietta for entrusting us with the job of bringing them to task. Come on pinky, we have noble baanahk to catch."

Without waiting for an answer Dove marched off cackling. Louise quickly bowed to the slightly disheveled princess before running to catch up with her familiar.

Getting let out of the palace, Dove refused a coach, instead wanting to make a stealthy entrance on foot. Dove and Louise started walking down the road to the town.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Dove turned to look at the small mage.

"I don't know," Louise snapped back at the new noble, "wouldn't you know since you were a commoner so recently?"

"I didn't grow up anywhere near here so you would know the people better than me," Dove pointed out.

"I'm sure that you know what you're doing perfectly well. You couldn't possibly need me to help you." Louise growled angrily turning away.

Dove blinked worry and confusion in her tone, "are you alright?"

"YES!" Louise roared before stomping off down the road.

Dove rushed to catch up to the irate pink.

Arriving in the town Louise immediately took the little amount of money she had been given and marched for the nearest clothing store.

Dove sighed as she watched the mage immediately close the door behind her, not allowing Dove to follow. Leaning against the wall Dove took the moment to think.

'Louise is angry, she has made that overly apparent and I am glad that she hasn't hit anything yet to vent her frustration. What is she angry about?' Dove processed the last few minutes up to their leaving of the palace.

 **'** **Anger is a secondary emotion,'** she remembered Paarthunax saying once, **'when someone is angry it is often to submerge another painful or sad emotion.'** What could Louise be feeling to cause her rage?'

"Alright let's get going," Louise said as she came out with new clothing.

Dove looked at her new wardrobe and started chuckling. The black dress and hat looked like they might be the height of fashion for this land, but for the sensible people of Skyrim and the rest of empire, it was laughably unpractical.

"What's so funny!" Louise said loudly, the feelings she had of respect and fear of her familiar getting over shadowed by the anger she felt.

"That dress won't last you the night," Dove said simply.

Louise ground her teeth before turning away. "Now we need a horse," she declared next.

"We are already in the town we are supposed to investigate; we don't need a horse." Dove deadpanned.

"Yes we do," Louise growled marching past to look at the stables.

Dove sighed again, crossed her arms and sat down by a fountain that marked the center of the town, waiting for the disaster of Louise to pass.

"So," Dove still sat at the fountain, arms still crossed, looking at the setting sun, eyebrows twitching, and deliberately not even glancing at the pink mage. "You lost all the money at the casino."

Louise flinched at the statement, she watched the ground as if waiting for it to eat her.

"You're rather foolish, you know that right?" Dove said brutally.

Louise murmured, "but they said that I would have more money if I gambled it." The earlier burning rage had become a smolder.

Dove groaned, "that's what they would say to get you to play their games and lose all of your money. Now what will we do? Could we get more from the princess?" The last part was thinking out loud.

Louise jerked her head up, "No!" Dove jumped a little at the unexpectedly loud and sudden response from the mage. "We accepted this as a request from the princess," Louise continued, "I am sure that she had a hard enough time trying to get use the money that we started out with."

"And you spent on cloths, tried to get a horse, and who knows what else after I left you," Dove deadpanned.

Louise was suddenly visited by a dark cloud.

"So we need to somewhere to sleep, and hopefully some food along with it," Dove started listing the necessities.

"*A Loud exclamation (Trees be end?) that the writer has absolutely no idea what the hell means and kind of doesn't want to find out, * Such a beautiful face!"

The high pitched crier was… ow… a tall man wearing a skin tight purple short shorts that ended much higher than the bulge that his manhood made in them with a little red bow centered above it, showing off his muscular and hairy legs.

His upper body was covered in an indigo half shirt with spaghetti straps that showed off his very hairy chest and muscular midriff. On his wrists were white bracelets and a matching tight necklace lay around his neck. His face had a small thin beard and a handlebar moustache both of which were the same black color of his hair.

The man was... dancing? Like he needed to go to the bathroom, "From the looks of it you two look to be in some sort of trouble, uh-to-ba, as you can easily see I am no one suspicious at all."

Dove, Louise, and Snipern0sniping (dang this is breaking the fourth wall with its strangeness) sweat dropped as the man started the next dance, it looked like he was doing some form of curtsying, over and over again.

"Actually you just look like someone in need of help," Dove said, "a lot of help."

"My name is Scarron and I run a lovely tavern just up the road, from here," the man was getting closer with each word until her was within kissing distance of Dove.

Did I mention that his puckered lips where the largest thing on his face, rivaling size of his forehead.

Dove controlled the instinct to punch him, "You own a tavern?" She asked instead.

"Yes, a tavern," the man, Scarron, got out of her face and posed dramatically. "Would you like me to fill the two of you with one of our delightful rooms?"

"It's not a brothel is it?" Dove felt the need to ask.

Scarron gasped and tears appeared in his eyes, "Of course not, such a scandalous rumor only hurts my beautiful establishment."

"We don't have any money to pay for the room," Dove said with a mock sad look on her face hoping for that to be the end of it.

"I could overlook it if you two work a little around the tavern instead," the owner said politely.

"A moment if you will," Dove said before pulling Louise over to the side.

"I think he is absolutely nuts but has rooms for the night that shouldn't be too hard to get, what do you think?" Dove summed up quickly.

Louise looked out of her depth. "I agree," she decided after a moment of looking at the owner.

Both of the girls accepted the man's offer and followed him up the road to his tavern. "The enchanted fairy inn," Dove read the name off the board above them as she paused outside. "I'm getting a brothel feel from this place."

"My lovely fairies~," Scarron called out to as he entered. From around the large, table and chair littered room came almost ten girls all in rather short dresses that had a large black bow in the back with gloves that went from midway down their biceps to a point around their middle fingers leaving their palms and fingers exposed. Around their necks were little chockers with a little black bow and in their hair was a white ruffle.

They all came forward with cheerful faces and happy laughter.

Dove couldn't help but smile back at them. They looked genuinely happy to be here and apparently felt safe enough to wear such dresses openly.

She reevaluated the establishment and the owner; he had offered work to two girls he had just happened to notice and had never met before, also she noticed that everything around her was clean and well organized. The most noticeable thing was that there was no smell in the air, most taverns smelled of alcohol or unwashed bodies, brothels would smell of cheap/heavy perfume and sex. This place actually smelled of flowers and wax, a rather nice combination.

Louise felt quite differently, 'this is a brothel this is abrothel thisisabrothel!' She started repeating over and over in her head as her face started to grow a deep pink cast.

When all of the girls had lined up Scarron gave out the days' assignments. "Today," he added after everyone else had a job, "we welcome two new helpers, maybe one or both could be a fairy alongside all of you, I will allow them to introduce themselves." He gestured to the two mages.

"Hello," Dove said politely to the group, "I am Dove and this is my friend, Louise, we lived near each other for most of our lives. Recently both of our homes burnt to the ground and we were sent to find work in the city to help our families recover. At first coming here was just for the night until we find a job but now I would like to ask if you lovely fairies would mind if we work around here?"

Scarron grew tears in his eyes and rushed up to give Dove a hug. "Yes, we would love to have the both of you girls here to help us, wouldn't we girls?"

"Yes sir mister Scarron," the fairies said in sync.

'NOOOOOOOO!' Louise shouted in her head as images of her mother's face upon hearing that she was working in a brothel appeared in her head.

"Noonononononono," Scarron said as he clasped his hands to his flushed face. "I told you a million times," he chastised them mock hurt on his face, "when we are in the shop you are to call me Mi Mademoiselle."

"Yes Mi Mademoiselle," all the girls and Dove said.

Louise shuddered.

"If it is alright with you Mi Mademoiselle," Dove said politely, "I am best in the kitchen. I can bake virtually anything but my specialty is pie and cakes."

"Oh yes yes," Scarron said sad that he couldn't get her out on the floor with the rest of the girls with looks like that but thinking her food would be a great addition.

"A piece of advice," Dove said over her shoulder as she walked towards the kitchen, "Louise is rather clumsy and prudish, please try and break those habits from her, it would make being with her so much more interesting."

Dove smirked as she heard a shout of indignant anger from the pink mage.

Inside the kitchen was a girl with dark black hair down to the small of her back and very large breasts with a handkerchief in her hair and a green dress with an apron on top.

"Hello," Dove said, surprising the girl who was washing dishes. "Mr. Scarron has given me and a friend the opportunity to work here, is there anything I can do in here? I am a rather good cook."

The girl looked Dove up and down, all business like and declared, "Yes, could you start cutting vegetables for the salad we are having with lunch. My names Jessica by the way."

"Yes ma'am, I'm Dove," Dove moved over to begin chopping.

Dove quickly settled into a rhythm of chopping and piling the completed veg before moving on to the next.

"Ladies," she heard Scarron call out from the front, "Now that we have induced our new workers I would also like to announce that this week is our long awaited tip contest."

Shouts of joy temporarily interrupted anything else that the owner was going to say. "The enchanted fairy who manages to earn the most money in tips will get a special bonus and~" he pulled a rope reviling a black version of the dress the other girls had on.

"The right to for one day wear the sacred family heirloom that is the inspiration for our name, the enchanted fairy bustier~" Scarron continued dreamily.

"Wow, wonderful Mi Mademoiselle!" The girls called out looking just a little flushed.

"This place is named after a dress?" Dove asked Jessica.

"Yep,"

Scarron gushed, "This dress is enchanted with magic that charms the beholder so the day you wear this you can earn tips without any limit."

"Or the guys here like the naughtier look it gives," Dove deadpans, Jessica chuckled next to her.

Dove tuned out the rest as she returned to the vegetables.

"Dove!" Dove turned to the voice, she found Louise looking back at her.

"When did you get changed? I could have sworn I only left you out there for a minute or two," Dove commented. Louise flushed and played with the side of her white dress.

"It doesn't matter," Louise said not looking Dove in the face. "We are going to win this competition," Louise started feeling empowered, "this way we can win the money to carry out our assignment in record time. Are you with me Dovahkiin?!"

"You know that the job was just to get people to like us enough to tell us honestly if the nobility around here are scumbags, right," Dove said reminding her summoner.

"Yes yes, we can do that to, but first we must win this competition."

"Fine. We could just ask our fellow employees and be done by tomorrow but if you want to win so bad I guess we could drag this out," Dove said allowing the annoyance she felt turn to sarcasm.

* * *

 **So ya,**

 **I want to hear your reasons why Kirche should be Dove's pairing, or why you think Alduin should be it.**

 **PM or review your reasons,**

 **NOT PORN!**

 ***Stendarr is the God of Righteous Might and Merciful Forbearance. He is the inspiration of magistrates and rulers.**


	13. Chapter 13

**The space heater worked and now the entirety of the black void where starts float is toasty warm**

 **Random thought**

 **I think Richard was on to something when he said that he was his own mother.**

 **I don't have enough sanity (Cthulhu stole it) to work for the company that owns Skyrim and I found Familiar or Zero in basket on my door step where some peasant left him, I thought it could make me happy like the unicorns I have captive in the tide.**

 **If you can name the person I was hinting at then you are awesome.**

* * *

 **WOW**

 **You guys are passionate about your FOZ pairings**

 **so much so that I basically don't have any reviews that don't in some way talk about who you think should or shouldn't be Dove's mate.**

 **Thank you all for your input.**

 **evevee: I know it was unprofessional to put a author note in the middle of the story, I just got shocked by the flamboyant nature of Scarron.**

 **Akshka: fools with be 'rekt'.**

 **Aline1: I think you lost me on when we were talking about how Louise would know about cloths to wear while riding. Was it a comment on the fact that Louise went for cloths and then a horse with the money the received?**

 **Guest(Shristopherprime22): Told you so. :P**

 **Boyzilla: thanks for the 'no presure' type of review.**

 **alexkehling: I don't really believe in the 'skills chart' from skyrim but like I said: great skill in: cooking, potions, enchanting, smithing, archery, one handed, and heavy armor, with a scattering of lessor expireance with other things. She won't 'start out' with normal ranked stuff. She will have to go out of her way to make or find things 'improving' a little here and a little there mostly on text.**

 **Bl4nk: I guess there would be some loot from bandits and hostage takers...**

 **what 'vulgar ideas' do you have about Dove's 'wand less magic?'**

 **perfectshade: I know, I think the original creator didn't think about it and no one else has either. The Didact's speech reminds you of Henriatta!? I get it, the fourth wall will be respected by me from now on. Thanks I wanted to give the inn a slightly better rep then the anime seemed to give it. **

**Poliamida: Thanks I hope you enjoy this new chapter just as much.**

 **morepie: Thanks, I love a good Thor like Nord Dragon born story but I felt that it had been done to often. PS my character in the game is very different from Dove, much more in line with the whole 'smashing thing' personality.**

 **this is fun: Thank you. Your post made my day. (and is that Proventus Avenicci that my writing of Colbert reminded you of?)**

 **PEJP Bengtzone: I know!**

* * *

 **!PAIRINGS!**

 **Just to let all of you know, if you didn't see your post above it was most likely due to the heavy pairings suggestions in it so it will be taken into consideration here.**

 **the people on the list are:**

 **Kirche**

 **Alduin**

 **Siesta**

 **Slyphid**

 **The Nerevarine**

* * *

 **New people who were suggested:**

 **Jessica**

 **Tiffania**

 **Tabitha**

 **the Hero of Kvatch (the hero from Oblivion, ps he became Sheogorath after the game and it is suggested that this is basicly a more normal Sheogorath/Dove pairing)**

 **Akotosh**

 **A threesome**

 **Louise**

 **A foursome**

 **A harem**

* * *

 **+++REASONS FOR+++**

 **Kirche: she is very intimate with people, very hot body on both girls, has a history of ending up in loveless relationships on FF,**

 **Alduin: he is a dragon but could also be given a mortal body as punishment, please, tension turned sexual, unexplored, so many posible things could be writen with him, a 'balm on her growing soul,' interesting.**

 **Siesta: already have some kind of conection, 'her knight in flowing dress', her 'books',**

 **Slyphid: Already a shapeshifting dragon, inocent personality, a lot of fun, rather neglected in FF**

 **The Nerevarine: actually male**

* * *

 **-REASONS AGAINST-**

 **Kirche: clearly straight, exists mostly to be Louises counter point, resulting in little charter development,**

 **Alduin: "I AM GOING TO RULE THE WORLD!" ps I hate mortals. She killed me. haven't been in the story yet**

 **Siesta: token love intrest might become dependent on Dove, commoner and now Dove in noble, no title to protect from the sneers of homophobes**

 **Slyphid: How old is she? sibling or family relationship instead? low tension,**

 **The Nerevarine: how would he get to Tristain? hasn't gotten there yet.**

 **!PAIRINGS!**

* * *

Louise tried, very hard.

Dove stood back in the kitchen, laughing her butt off.

The day had passed like this; "A-ah, H-hello, I brought another bottle of what you ordered," from Louise.

"Wow you're flat!" From almost everyone she approached, or a few comments about service before the chest comment.

And then she would crack the bottle over their heads.

Louise had gotten to pour for several customers before they reached the 'chest' comment, instead those people had always needed to grab a towel as Doves warning about her clumsiness became well warranted and they found most of the bottle in their laps.

The worst was when a customer had made the chest comment and then requested for her to feed him his drink in a 'smooth' way.

She had feed it to him with an earful of shouting about him being a dog. Scarron had come to the rescue before Dove could move herself. Louise had to be physically picked up and placed to the side.

"I'm terribly sorry sir," the man had said pulling the other man into his chest, "little Louise is new here and not quite used to the way we do things." His attempts to comfort the other man was simply hilarious for Dove and several others around the tavern. Many people seemed to come for the drink, others for the cute girls, but there was also a group that apparently came just to see the owner get 'frisky' with someone.

"Louise, would you please get this man another drink and a damp wash cloth right away," Scarron said quickly.

"Right away sir," Louise said ashamed that she had just about ruined her chances at the tip contest.

"In her place I will provide you with a special service~," Scarron cooed and the man had spent the next thirty seconds trying to escape the affectionate cross dresser. Everyone except for Scarron, Dove and Louise had quickly forgotten the event afterwards.

By the end of the day Louise had been basically blacklisted from serving.

"What did she do on at your parents' house?" Jessica asked watching Louise dart off for the damp cloths

"She was the little princess," Dove made up on the spot, "she hardly did any of the work but was very loved it honestly broke her parent's hearts when she volunteered to come with me and get a job in the big city alongside me."

"That's rather sad," Jessica said, "what skills does she have? I don't mean to be rude but what can she do?"

Dove look thoughtful, "she is determined and a hard worker, she doesn't like the way that people look at her," Dove said, "I mean she hates it when people look at her chest in pity."

Jessica barked a laugh and watched the flat girl, "she is rather fast, maybe she could carry drinks to the girls who are entertaining the guests."

"That would work," Dove admitted, "but a word of advice," Jessica favored Dove with a look. "Find a good way to break this news to Louise softly, she has been upset about something."

"What, can't handle the job?" Jessica asked.

"No," Dove denied, "She was upset about something before we arrived, I can work it out with her after I figure what's bothering her."

"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" After the day had finished Louise and Dove had to share a room in the attic, it was dusty, covered in cobwebs, and only had one bed, but they could manage it might even be fun to have an impromptu sleep over.

Except for one thing.

I AM THE DAUGHTER OF A DUKE, I SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO STOOP SO LOW AS TO POUR FOR COMMONERS WHILE THEY LOOK DOWN MY DRESS AND CALL ME FLAT CHES-" Louise was screeching so loud that Dove was beginning to pray that she could jab out her ears.

The only really good thing was that the position of this room allowed no one outside of this room to hear this pink girl shout her grievances to the world.

Those trapped inside on the other hand could hear nothing else.

Finally Dove had enough and slammed her hand over Louise's tirade. "Quit it Louise, all of those girls down there can do it so I expect you to be able to as well. Or," Dove smirked, "are you admitting that you aren't as capable as us commoners?"

Louise was surprised and stung by this jab at her noble pride, momentarily silenced before fighting back.

"You're not a commoner, Dove de la Bosquet, you are a baroness and a familiar, and a dragon, and an ELF and a good cook and pretty…" Louise started rambling.

Dove blinked, as Louise seemed to deflate in on herself, 'is this what she is so angry about?' She wondered remembering how Louise had tried to take over the mission from the start only to lose their money in a casino.

Louise twisted away from her familiar, missing the shock and then the understanding that crossed her face. "You are so much better than me, Dovahkiin."

"Louise," Dove wanted to hear if the idea she just had was accurate. "Am I correct in saying that you are jealous of me?"

Louise dragged her head around to look at the chef. "Yes," she admitted quietly then more loudly, "I am jealous of you Dovahkiin, you are so strong, you can cast magic, you are better looking than me, the only thing that I had over you was my status as a noble, now even that is gone since the princess, my friend, has given you that status." The look of betrayal on Louise's face was hard to see.

"At the same time I feel stupid for being jealous," Louise continues, "you have earned all these things, you deserve your title, you deserve the same respect as my mother in my book, so why do I feel so jealous of you?"

Dove felt like she understood Louise better.

"You're right that I deserve my titles," Dove said without any boasting. Louise felt her self-esteem shrink. "The thing is," Dove continues, "I had to do things to earn them, I had to learn to take comments from people that I honestly hated without blowing up in their faces, I had to train my speed and stamina so that I could wield this sword, then I had to fight for make everything in my possession."

"Now that we understand me, let's look at you." Louise interrupted Dove, "I'm the Zero, nothing about me is good."

"If you say that then it is true. That is where you start, what maters now is where you grow to. I started off as the daughter of a scullery maid," Dove didn't often speak about her heritage.

Louise dropped her jaw and stared at her familiar, 'how did she go from something so low to a Baroness?'

"You said I have so many things. I had to work for every single one of them, my starting place was a little shop where I waited tables and sang while I worked. From there I gain recognition for my voice that allowed me to go to Skyrim to learn from the Bards College, and that launched me into the life that lead me up to you."

Louise felt like Dove was coming to a point, "This could be your starting point, try and make a new image for yourself. What you need to do is what I needed to do back then, change my attitude."

Dove could see how hard what see was asking Louise to do would be. Her face scrunched as if she couldn't tell if she was supposed to be angry or shocked at what Dove had requested of her.

"Try this," Dove said hoping to forestall the eruption of mount Louise, "try talking to people like they were your friend, like the difference between noble and commoner simply didn't exist. You don't have to be intimate with them, but just talk to them. If someone acts inappropriately or says something rude all you would need to do is get a little teary eyed and say 'I'm sorry, I thought we were friends,' and that will make them feel bad and apologize, unless they are scum. If they are scum, then leave quickly. Simple."

Louise just sat there, consternation written across her face.

"Think about it, and we will talk again tomorrow," Dove said settling down to sleep on the floor with a blanket, "or better yet, try it out tomorrow and then we can compare how that day goes verses how today went."

Louise numbly got into bed and put out the light. Her thought keeping her up a good half an hour past when she heard the soft breaths of Dove's sleep.

In the morning Dove sat up with a yawn. The maid stretched her arms out getting a bunch of cracks from her stiff back. This is when she noticed that the bed was empty, Louise had apparently left before she had woken up.

Getting up Dove quickly made ready for the day and was down the stairs within five minutes of waking.

Down below the girls were just arriving already for the day.

"Dove, over here," a voice called over from the kitchen and drew her attention before she could find Louise in the group.

Jessica was waving to Dove from her place by the sink. Walking over Dove smiled, "So, how was your night?"

Jessica shrugged, "Fine, my dad was anxious about hiring the pair of you since Louise had a rough first day but we both think that she could get better."

Dove frowned, 'her father hired us…' Dove twisted around to give Scarron a hard look.

"So, Scarron is your father?" Dove turned back, wanting a solid answer.

"yep, "Jessica popped the P and smiled at the shock that was spreading across Doves face.

"Immaculate conception, right? Please say that it was immaculate conception." Dove needed to know, there was no way that the large chested, almost doe-like eyed woman could be the progeny of the manly Mi mademoiselle.

Jessica smirked devilishly, "that's for me to know and you to find out."

"No offence but I kind of don't want to find out about the birds and the bees and the Scarrons."

Jessica looked almost hurt, "you're no fun to tease."

"So you're saying that Scarron isn't your father?" Dove asked, confused.

"He is," Jessica assured Dove of that fact.

Dove decided to get off of this topic before her mind melted trying to understand it.

The first thing Dove did was dry the dishes that Jessica had been washing while Jessica pulled out the usual load of ingredients to make the Inns famous breakfast.

"Louise," Dove overheard the voice of Scarron from the kitchen, "I want you to just stand here and watch how the other girls do it."

Glancing over Dove saw Scarron and Louise standing in a corner, Louise looking contrite and Scarron, the hopeful mentor.

"I'm sorry for the way things happened yesterday, mi mademoiselle," Louise apologized quietly, "I will do better today."

Scarron went wide eyed at the attitude change in Louise before smiling his pursed lips, tears coming to his eyes. "Thank you Louise, I'm sure that you will."

With a proud look Scarron marched off to get the rest of the girls ready for the day.

Dove could also feel a proud grin spreading across her face. 'Great! Watch them Louise and learn,' Dove cheered in her head.

"OW~" Dove groaned as she sat up in bed. She glanced around the bed room she had woken up in; There was an ice troll doing handstands in front of the door while a walrus was doing jumping jacks at the base of her bed.

"Are you alright?" the walrus asked in a feminine voice.

Dove blinked, the walrus had boob.

Blinking Dove noticed something; every time her eyes closed and reopened the troll and walrus would change shape a little. First the walrus was wearing a green dress, with the next blink it had grown legs.

This was enough to let Dove know that something was wrong with her eyes, or head.

Quickly blinking she eventually brought everything back into focus. The walrus was Jessica and she was sitting on the end of her bed instead of doing jumping jacks. The troll was Louise who was looking guilty.

"What?" Dove asked as apparently Jessica had been talking while she banished the creatures from her sight.

"I said, you passed out cold from a flying bottle of wine that came out of nowhere and hit you in the head," Jessica repeated, "are you alright now?"

Dove closed her eyes and tried to think back, "I think so, but I can't quite remember what happened after we got up this morning." Dove reached up and could feel the goose egg lump prominently throbbing under her hair.

"Well," Jessica thought back on the day "you helped me set up breakfast, and Louise did very well in the morning, she was kind and courteous to everyone. She seemed to have a plan to act hurt to anyone who said anything rude." Louise looked proud and Dove gave her an encouraging smile.

"Next?" Dove asked.

Jessica nodded and continued, "We made it to lunch but Louise seemed to be getting annoyed and began to get sharp with some of the customers, we decided to become lesbian lovers. Finally, you talked to Louise and that seemed to calm her down until just after afternoon tea time."

Dove blinked and Louise's jaw dropped.

"Oh, I, uh…" was Dove's intelligent response, her cheeks growing redder by the second.

Jessica chuckled, "I'm kidding."

Dove and Louise glared at the chuckling black haired girl.

"Off of the love story," Dove said hoping to get off this topic, "where did the bottle come from."

"It was my fault," Louise said, her glare turning into a shameful frown. At Doves questioning look Louise sank a little into a depression.

"What happened?" Dove asked instead of getting angry with Louise for the injury she was getting interested and concerned, Louise had been doing so well (according to Jessica). Concern for Louise killed any anger she might have had at the head injury.

Louise jerked her head up at the tone, the minor cloud of depression instantly left Louise as felt the concern warm her. Louise blushed a little, "A guy started telling me how much he liked young flat girls and reached for me, I panicked and threw a bottle at him. I missed and hit you in the back of the head."

Dove smiled reassuring at Louise. "I'm not dead, and the headache will go away. So I guess we can forget about this." That and she could use a healing spell after Jessica left.

"Thank you," Louise breathed.

"So," Jessica started to ask watching Louise closely, "why are you two here? It obviously isn't for a job to help your families."

Dove froze for a second before allowing an innocent and confused look to spread across her face, "I don't know what you are talking about. Our families need the money to rebuild our homes after a fire."

Jessica spared Dove a glance, a smirk growing when she saw the confusion on her face. "You can drop the act; you might be able to pretend but Louise here can't act to save her life."

Louise spluttered knowing that her face was a burning red that would put Kirche's hair to shame.

"So what are you here for? Louise is most likely a noble, so does that make you her servant?" Jessica reasoned.

"What makes you think that Louise is a noble?" Dove asked calmly without allowing her anxiety show.

Jessica deadpanned, "Louise couldn't even hold a tray properly when she arrived, she has always had someone bring it to her. Your story about her being the 'princess' of her household had me confused for a little while but I saw through it eventually."

Dove stared at Jessica's deadpan with an equally incredulous look.

Louise growled, it was all her fault that they had been discovered. "We are on a mission to see if nobles are abusing their positions," Louise bit out. Dove broke eye contact with Jessica to stare at Louise.

Jessica on the other hand turned and started gushing, "Oh, a mission, is it like some kind of special can't talk about it without having to kill me afterwards type of mission? Wait you just told me what you are doing so it can't be one of those type of missions. Unless you are going to kill me now, can you not kill me if I help?"

Dove dropped her jaw at the minor avalanche of words spilling out of the owners' daughter. "It isn't like that," she said after she processes everything she had said.

Deciding to go for broke Dove laid their mission out. "We are basically supposed to ask around about nobles who use their authority to bully the commoners. We find names and evidence to report them to the palace where presumably someone take care of them."

Jessica placed her finger on her chin and looked up in thought, "the commoners, that's what you said. Does that mean you are also a noble Dove?" She glanced at the bed ridden girl.

"Apparently," Dove groused.

"What does that mean? Either you are or aren't," Jessica pushed.

"I was given authority but little else, or at least that's what I think happened, it all kind of blurred together after I was given some fancy name," Dove shrugged.

"So why are you two here then?" Jessica asked.

"Pinky lost our funds," Dove said bluntly. "besides, "Dove continued after Jessica got a good laugh, "we can ask around and watch from within the inn, people from all walks of life come in and unwind their troubles. And pinky wants to win your tip contest." Dove added the last part as an afterthought.

"Well, I can help you with your mission," Jessica declared, surprising Louise but only mildly affecting Dove.

"I thought you might," Dove said "what do you have for us?"

"His name is lord Chiclet, he comes in every week end he is the tax collector, if we anger him he will place a huge tax on us. On top of that he fondles the girls all night and won't pay any tip. No one likes him."

"There is a difference between on one liking them and abusing their authority," Dove pointed out, "if what you say is true about the imposing tax if you displease him is true then we can report him, but if he is just a despicable person then there's little we can do."

"Don't worry about if he is just despicable vs illegal. He should be coming sometime later tonight, he is rather arrogant and will flaunt his ability to add a tax to line his pockets, does so almost every night he shows up."

Dove smiled, "that sounds like something we could help you with."

Dove was spreading marinade across some chicken preparing them for turning over the fire on a spit. After she had come back down she had been greeted warmly by everyone, like a player being welcomed back into a high stakes game after being injured in the first quarter.

Louise had gone back to serving and apparently regained her calm.

They had a plan ready for the tax collector, or rather Dove had come up with a sting operation where Louise was going to try and talk to him about his behavior add see if she couldn't get him to spill the beans on his tax policy.

"So there I was," Louise was leaning on a table listening to and actually enjoying hearing a man tell a rather interesting tale about a hunting trip that had turned bad. "I lined up a shot at the deer I had been following when I realized that there was something breathing down my neck." the man leaned in close, "I slowly turned around to find a great big black bear on its hind legs right behind me."

SLAM

The door opened and in walked, waddled a large man in green with a red cape. As he cleared his throat what could only be his guards came in behind him and Scarron ran up.

"Oh if it isn't lord Chiclet. It's so nice of you to come all the way out here to visit us," it didn't take a genius to see that Scarron didn't really want this man or any of his six guards within his establishment.

"Looks like your business is doing rather well Scarron," the lard- Lord said in a deep voice. The man was rather repulsive in Doves opinion, his hair was brown and looked like someone had just dropped a rather bad toupee on his head, there were almost no sides or back just a fluff on top. A thin but long moustache spread from his nose to at least and inch from the side of his large, flat, face.

Dove looked to Jessica with a questioning look, "Yep that's him," Jessica whispered.

"Oh, todays the exception," Scarron denied, "Usually it's so empty that you can hear the crickets chirp."

"Enough," the Lord said dismissively, "I am here as a costumer."

"I'm sorry but we are full today, there doesn't seem to be anywhere for more customers to be placed," Scarron said hopeful that this would drive the Lord off.

"Really? It doesn't seem like that to me," the Lord said smirking and snapping his fingers.

Half of his men pulled out clubs and the other half pulled out swords at the sound. All the customers at the tables got up at the obvious command and threat to leave.

Dove's eyes widened as she saw this act, obvious abuse of the man's authority but if they moved in now he would be able to talk his way out of any punishment.

"You know that you're obstructing this business by chasing away customers," Dove called out from the kitchen.

Everyone froze, the lord glared at the offending women. "Mind your own business," he snapped and strutted over to a table.

"I guess you were right, Scarron," the lord said looking around at the now empty room. In all the hasty confusion the girls had all taken shelter within the kitchen with the one girl who stood up to the pompous aristocrat.

"This place is rather empty, where are the servers? Or do you have no one suitable to serve the queens tax collector?" he demanded.

"I think that's your cue Louise," Dove said to the mage as the tax collector started pounding his hands on the table like a denied infant, the image only helped by this weight.

"You can't be serious," Louise shot back, "there is no way that I can serve him, I would probably break his nose in under a minuet tops."

"She's right," Jessica added, "like I said, he fondles his server all night and then won't give any tip, I don't think anyone is stupid enough to go out there."

Dove groaned, "but we need someone to do it if we want to catch him in something illegal and he can't talk his way out of."

Louise gripped her tray, anger and pride waring on her face before she went blank and picked up a bottle or two.

Dove couldn't have been any prouder of Louise, giving up her pride for the mission was a major step for her.

"Hello sir," Louise said drawing the tax collector's gaze, "my name is Louise, would you like to try some of our vintage?"

The lord just took one glance at her chest and huffed, "Has this place started to employ men to serve now?"

'Ouch,' Dove winced as Louise tried to recover. "What, men? Sir I thought we could be friends," Louise said a tremor in her voice.

"Good Louise," Dove murmured she just needed to keep her cool long enough for him to claim to be able to raise the tax because he felt like it.

"I see, you're just a little girl with really small breasts." The man was digging a grave and didn't even notice.

"They are so flat that for a minuet I actually thought you were a man." screw whatever punishment the palace was going to give this man; no one should say such things to a woman.

Louise didn't consciously hear him anymore. "You should let me see exactly how small those little breasts are," the Lord started reaching for her chest.

"You guys might want to duck and cover, it's about to get messy," Dove said to the girls as she reached for Derf.

"DOG!" Louise's shoe crunched into the lord's face. They might not have gotten him to admit to tax fraud but at least they were going to kick someone butt.

Dove was over the waist high border before the man in green hit the ground.

Everyone screamed, the girls and owner in fear of reprisal and the men in anger.

"Damn you!" a guard shouted, "You're rude!" the lord roared at the pink girl.

"Pot or Kettle?" Dove asked as she moved up behind her friend.

"What?" Snarled the man on the ground.

"First you kicked everyone out to take over the floor, then you were rude to my companion and so she punished you, now you whine like a brat. Do you have no shame Mr. tax collector?" Dove asked mockingly.

"How dare you speak to me like that, I am a noble!"

"And that matters why?" Dove asked feeling her magicka starting to flow through her arms.

The tax collector snarled an order to his men, "I want them captured, chained and hung for sedition!"

"Belay that!" growled Dove with obvious authority as the guards reached for their weapons.

The guards froze for a minuet as their engrained response kicked in. but another shout from their lord brought motion back to their limbs.

Louise jumped up on a table wand flicking out.

BOOM

The explosion surprisingly didn't damage anything, as if it was the air that exploded instead of the floor or a table.

Dove moved into the smoke, the first guard had his arm across his face, his sleeve acting like an improvised gas mask and eye protection, but also blinded him. Dove moved in close and low, the pommel of her sword coming up and actually lifting the man a good three inches off the ground by his face.

The next two, both of them the only other swordsmen, had taken the blunt of the blast and were already out cold.

Moving on to the three club wielders Dove saw them starting to move to intercept her. The closest swung at her, aiming to crush her skull with a heavenly downward strike. Dove lifted Derf to intercept the blow. As she dealt with that the other two moved to form a loose circle around her.

Dove kept circling, not allowing anyone to out of her sight for too long, but was also unable to keep all of them in sight at the same time.

The one to her right made the first move, swinging low and fast. Dove stepped to avoid the strike when another from her left swung high. Dove raised Derf to block and managed to cut most of the way through the hard wood club.

But now Derf was stuck in the club and the man started pulling, trying to twist the sword out of her hands.

"Are you a noble?" The Lord said ignoring the fighting and focusing on the pink server.

"I have no answer to give to a lowlife official like you!" Louise shouted back pointing her wand at the man.

Dove let her magicak go running through Derf and into the wood, instantly igniting the hard wood as if it was tinder, just in time she was able to pull away from the man as the last guy swung and just missed her side.

"You're a fallen noble," the tax collector accused and pointed with his walking stick at Louise.

Louise pulled out their commission from the palace.

Dove gathered lighting and with a sword thrust in the closest man's direction, allowed it free reign. It jumped from person to person electrocuting all of her opponents.

"WHAT?" Dove turned to take in the scene. "Who are you calling a fallen noble?" Louise challenged as the man's eyes took in the official seal.

"A-a permit from the palace?" the disgusting man threw himself down into a bow. "Please oh please miss, I'll give you this if you just forget about what happened. PLEASE!" the man pulled out a large sack that clinked like money, still in the bowing position.

Louise glared down on the man, but eyed the sack of money with interest.

Dove moved over to Louise, "I don't think so." Louise glanced down, surprised at her familiar's words. "If we take the money then we basically would be taking a bribe," Dove reasoned, "I say let him face the queens' justice."

The man started sweating even harder.

Louise looked down, judging. "I have to agree," She eventually admitted, "Dove can you take him to the prison?"

Dove smirked at the man's terrified expression.

"Sure."

* * *

 **I would like to say that I can find ways around each 'bad' point the characters have at the top**

 **I just don't want to start looking for them until I have decided on a pairing.**

 **I will decide on a pairing within two weeks,**

 **so give your reasons for or against, give your new suggestions, and I will consider every single one given until I have decided.**

 **This will disappoint people but I will basically out right dismiss god/goddess pairings because it would take the fun out of writing.**

 **I also am against harems, I might be convinced of a threesome and you will have to argue for a foursome but those are my limits.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Greetings Mortal**

 **Didn't hear you come in.**

 **Just to let you know**

 **I might be a all powerful creature of everything good**

 **even if the people in white cloths disagree and tell me to eat the foul tasting candy**

 **but still**

 **I don't own Skyrim or Familiar of Zero**

 **just the souls of everyone who reads this story.**

* * *

 **I honestly can't take any more suggestions for pairings.**

 **so while I am still accepting reasons for or against pairings**

 **I won't accept any more new suggestions.**

 **My brain can't handle it.**

 **PEJP Bengtzone V2: thank you.**

 **Jackalope: I agree with your sentiment on harems.**

 **Akshka: I know, it hurts my brain sometimes.**

 **Boyzilla: Thank you. I always hated that in the anime they basically took a bribe and everything turned out OK.**

 **alexkehling: I don't think the world is ready to know how Scarron had a daughter. Did you enjoy the fight scene? I was anxious that Dove's part worked with what Louise was doing.**

 **XSDStitch: Dove should, but they have other things that will make them really busy soon and will eat up a lot of time.**

 **Poliamida: don't worry, the hoard of angry people no matter who I choose won't be able to find me, remember? I'm on the moon with my space heater.**

 **PS, nice slide in for adding Jessica.**

 **89ingenting: True, I don't have to have a pairing, but FOZ is a very relationship driven story so I felt that it would be missing something if I didn't give her a romantic partner.**

 **DeathTheManiac: what have you seen that's weirder then a boobed walrus doing jumping jacks?**

 **Akshka: it sounds like you will get your wish.**

 **GGFBank: Ya chained lightning might suck with friendly around but when you're all alone. :}**

 **trninjakiller: it might, but I think there is more opportunity for fun if Dove could change back and forth.**

 **perfectshade: Thanks, I felt the need to try and get her to grow without a huge external event occurring. I also don't want to have Dove over powered, a bit like superman, she could have gone with some powerful shout that would have won her the day instantly, but hurt them and bystanders and honestly a little frightened herself with the power she wields.**

* * *

 **!PARINGS!**

 **OK, now that I'm no longer accepting people into my list then that means it is finished.**

 **now just tell me why the person you are rooting for would be better then anyone else on the list.**

 **Louise**

 **Kirche**

 **Tabitha**

 **Slyphid**

 **Alduin**

 **the Nerevarine**

 **Jessica**

 **Paathurnax**

 **The hero of Kvatch**

 **Odahving**

 **Tiffania**

 **Reynald**

 **Eragon Shadeslayer**

* * *

 **You guys have suggested a lot of possibilities.**

 **+Reasons for Pairings+**

 **Louise: Interesting,**

 **Kirche: confident in her sexuality, passionate but only interested in people who 'burn' like her, kind, already interested in her 'cute' ears, needs escape from her family, sexy, funny,**

 **Siesta:**

 **Some random guy Dove met in skyrim: past encounters, male,**

 **Tabitha: has lead a dangerous life like Dove, more independent, hard working,**

 **Slyphid: shape-shifting dragon love, also a familiar,**

 **Alduin: Tension turned sexual (again), male**

 **The Nerevarine: male,**

 **Jessica: 'open', well grounded in the real world, spontaneous,**

 **Paathurnax: male, 'experienced', hasn't tried to kill Dove,**

 **The hero of Kvatch: an 'interesting' time, male,**

 **Odahving: red and blue look good together, "we met during a 'kinky' session, male,**

 **Durnehviir: Dragon,**

 **Tiffania: relatable with ears, takes charge,**

 **Reynald: male, smart, loyal, easy to write,**

 **Eragon Shadeslayer: Male, experienced,**

* * *

 **- Reasons against Parings-**

 **Louise: Weird, no current romance,**

 **Kirche: straight,**

 **Siesta: damsel in Distress, posibly looking for a husband, could be frightened off by her ears, sheltered,**

 **Some random Guy Dove met in skyrim: Who?**

 **Tabitha: might be frightened by relationships,**

 **Slyphid: age,**

 **Alduin: "I SILL WANT TO DESTROY THE WORLD HERE!"**

 **The Nerevarine: "Where is the Tristain?"**

 **Jessica: often far away from Dove, has a job that takes up her attention,**

 **Paathurnax: in skyrim, OLD MAN, already established 'mentor' role,**

 **The hero of Kvatch: "I'm part of the mad god, he doesn't let me out for just anything."**

 **Odahving: in skyrim, fought with Dove**

 **Durnehviir: Necrophilia, dragon twilight *HACKING UP LUNCH*, has tried to kill Dove,**

 **Tiffania: body shy,**

 **Reynald: almost forgotten,**

 **Eragon Shadeslayer: a whole 'nother story to try and work in, prophesied to love a royal,**

* * *

"Really. Hate. Horses." Dove groaned as she and Louise came back from the nearby town. "Could you quit complaining," Louise grumbled as she glanced at the other girl on the horse next to her.

Dove was looking rather green, she was sitting upright and in the perfect stance for riding but she obviously didn't like a single second of it.

Her glare at Louise was dark and full of anger, until the horse to another step and she quickly brought her eyes back to the front. "I just hate it when my feet are off the ground," Dove snapped at the pink mage who was obviously enjoying her familiars discomfort.

"Yet you don't have a problem flying," Louise pointed out with a smirk.

"...that's different," Dove said with great dignity.

After they had put away Lord Tax Collector person - Dove had already forgotten his name - they had returned to the academy without any real fuss. The only person who knew about Doves new status was old Osmond who promised not to tell in exchange for forgiveness and the return of his right to have Doves pies.

"Hey," Dove said glancing quickly around the academy, "where is everybody?" The academy was quiet and seemed to be almost abandoned.

"It's summer vacation, most people won't be here for a while as they are traveling or with family," Louise supplied.

"That sounds great, why aren't you home with your family?" Dove questioned, she remembered Louise saying that she wanted a familiar that proved to her mother that she wasn't a failure.

Louise stiffened and didn't answer.

Coming up to the entrance of the academy Dove was surprised to see both Tabitha and Kirche loading a carriage together.

"Hey," Dove called out smiling despite her stomach, "where are you two off to?"

"Hi Dove, Louise," Kirche called out giving a wave. "I thought you two had already left. We are going to Tabitha's house for the vacation, do you guys have plans for the vacation?"

Dove smirked, "ya, I have a room to deep clean, I don't know about Louise though."

"I don't really have plans," Louise said shrugging.

"Hey, Tabitha," Kirche turned to the blue haired girl, "could Louise come too? She would be so lonely without us here to make her life interesting."

Louise spluttered, confusion at the sudden request.

Dove and Kirche gave Tabitha puppy dog eyes hoping to convince her.

"... Fine," Tabitha said almost mutely.

"But-" Louise started trying to think of a reason why not that wasn't offensive.

"Go on Louise," Dove said smirking at the girls stuttering, thoroughly enjoying the uncomfortable look that was now on Louise's face instead of her own.

Louise didn't respond so Kirche pulled her from the saddle and up the academy stairs to gather some cloths.

Tabitha and Dove watched the impromptu circus for a moment.

"What's wrong?" Dove asked the somber face of Tabitha after a moment.

Tabitha tilted her head, "Wrong?"

Dove gratefully got down from her mount, "you are sad, don't deny it, your voice is much quieter than normal, and your eyes have a faraway look to them."

Dove's mind started going over every possibility it could think of for Tabitha's reluctance and blurting out the ones that frightened her the most, "Is something wrong at your home? Is someone at your house trying to hurt you? Did you bring Kirche as back up against that person?" Dove asked quickly.

"No," Tabitha said but didn't elaborate.

Dove felt like she had stepped on something tender, "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, I was concerned because you seem unhappy."

Tabitha blinked, "Thanks."

"Your welcome tabby," Dove said adopting Kirche's nickname for her.

"And that is why you should always bring a swimsuit on trips," the loud voice of Kirche interrupted anything Tabitha would have said against Doves use of the name as Kirche came back out talking animatedly to a dazed Louise.

"How did you two get everything so quickly?" Dove asked, they had only been gone for a few minutes at most.

"Are we back outside?" questioned a still dazed Louise.

"Yes," Dove answered.

"DOVE SAVE ME SHE IS CRAZY. SHE HAD EVERYTHING PACKED WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING THROUGH MY DRAWS!" Louise cried.

"Oh relax Louise," Kirche huffed, "It's not like you have anything else that you might have brought."

"How would you know that!" Louise demanded, "you hardly even glanced in my dresser before going through my cloths."

"I am intimately familiar with all the cloths you own," Kirche said huskily smirking as Louise's face grew an instant cherry red.

"Perverted Zerbst! You looked though my cloths!?"

"Not really, it's just that you Valliere women don't wear anything that isn't 'proper' and I grew out of those things years ago."

Dove plugged her ears and gave Tabitha a sympathetic smile before leaving in the wake of Louise's indignant shouting.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Louise sat sulking. Next to her was Tabitha with Kirche sitting across from both of them. "Why did you do this Zerbst?" Louise finally asked after glaring for a good ten minutes.

"Why can't you just call me Kirche, Louise? And why can't you believe that I have no other reason than the enjoyment of your company for asking you to come with us?" Kirche asked smiling, knowing that Louise simply couldn't believe that with her family history.

"YOU know why I can't just take your word for it, you bullied me for years and now you just decided to be friends?" Louise said.

"Honestly Louise?" Kirche asked and got a nod, "I almost always felt bad about teasing you afterwards and when your familiar disappeared before the familiar festival, you remember, when you basically were a zombie of guilt and hurt? It took the fun out of teasing you, since then I decided to be nicer."

Louise tilted her head, "so you pity me?" her face gave no inclination about what she thought on the mater.

"No," Kirche stated quickly, "I just decided to bury the hatchet."

"Sounds nice, I agree," Tabitha actually willingly gave input. The other two girls were shocked.

"You think I should forgive her Tabitha?" Louise questioned when the shock of hearing Tabitha willingly speak passed.

Tabitha nodded.

Louise had to think about this.

"Hey," Kirche said glancing out the window, "we stopped."

On the road coming closer was a man with a hoe and overalls.

As he passed the carriage he stopped and glanced inside. "I'm sorry miss," The man who looked like a farmer said, "but just to let you know, lake Lagdorian is overflowing. The road is washed out, if you want to go anywhere near there you should seek high roads."

"Thank you, sir," Kirche called out to the man who started back down the road. "Did it rain recently?" Louise pondered, they weren't too far from the academy and she couldn't remember any rain.

"Maybe it came over from the Gallia side of the boarder," Kirche suggested since they were only a few minutes from said border.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Without all the students around the academy was actually rather fun place to be, for a servant. They could go basically anywhere and just had to make sure that they cleaned the room afterwards.

Dove skipped around enjoying this freedom within her new home. An extra bright spot had been when she had found Martone rolling out a large cauldron like pot, it had been used to cook large quantities of soup like food. Recently he had gotten another one and now he didn't need the one he already had.

Dove had leapt at the chance to get it for herself.

It took a while but Dove eventually rolled the large tub out to her hole. Now she stopped and started pondering. She had completely forgotten that the hole entrance was waist high and the pot was simply too large to get in.

'Oh well,' Dove decided, 'I was planning on enlarging the entrance anyway.'

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Tabitha, Louise and Kirche looked over the roadway, below was the town that had been on the lake shore of Lagdorian lake but now to their surprise the water was up to the eaves on some houses.

"We never would have made it if we had tried to go past using that road," Kirche commented.

"Do you think everyone is alright?" Louise questioned noticing how many houses seemed to be down there.

"I'm sure that they got out without any serious harm Louise," Kirche said, "They could have gone to relative's homes."

"Maybe," Louise acknowledged.

"So, Tabby?" Kirche turned the conversation to a lighter topic, "How far away is your house? Are we nearly there?"

"Nearly there," Tabitha echoed without looking up.

Kirche sighed and returned to looking out the window.

Suddenly Kirche sat upright and twisted to look at something out the window. "What is it Kirche?" Louise asked.

"Hold on Louise," Kirche said looking ahead. After a moment she pulled herself back into the carriage.

"Tabitha, are part of the Gemonian royal family?" Kirche asked stunning Louise as she looked forwards at the blue haired girl.

Tabitha didn't answer.

It didn't really matter that she stayed silent because within ten minutes of Kirche asking her question, they arrived at Tabitha's home.

It was a manor home with the seal of the royal family proudly decorating the apex of the entryway.

"I was right," Kirche muttered, sock evident on her features.

Louise just stared mutely.

A man in a butler outfit came out to greet them. "Welcome back miss," he said with a bow, "We have been expecting you, lady charlotte."

Tabitha looked blank as she led her two shocked guests into her home.

Arriving within a sitting room Louise sat down heavily on the couch, her mind still in turmoil. Kirche, next to her was in better shape and managed to get some coherent thoughts after the revelation. "Would it be possible to say hello to your father first?" she asked thinking that must be how Tabitha was related to the royal family.

Tabitha just shook her head, "wait here please," she said before moving off.

"Oh, alright," Kirche said as Tabitha left the room.

It took a minuet after Tabitha left for Louise to find her voice, when she did all bets were off. "SHE IS ROYALTY!" Louise screeched.

Kirche who had been examining a portrait of a blue haired man jumped at the unexpected volume the small girl could reach. "Do try to keep up Louise," Kirche mocked, "obviously she is royalty, I think this is a portrait of her father, why do you think Tabitha didn't tell us?"

Louise shut up and thought about it. "Excuse me miss," the butler man had returned with a small tray of tea, "I am the butler in charge of the Orleans family house, my name is Percerin."

"I am a daughter of the Von Zerbst family, I am in your good care," Kirche greeted politely.

"I am the youngest daughter of the Valliere family, I am in you care," Louise said just as politely.

The butler looked impressed, "I had not been told that our small lady Charlotte would bring two friends to spend her summer vacation, nor that they would be from two infamous for disagreeing families."

Louise looked to Kirche, "we are trying to get along for now."

Kirche nodded, and asked a question of her own, "So Tabitha's real name is actually Charlotte?" Louise leaned in close wanting an answer as well. The butler let out a breath of confusion and realization.

Instead of answering right away the butler asked a question of his own, "so at school our small lady goes by the name of Tabitha?"

Louise and Kirche looked at each other, confused but nodded to the butler. "Why did she come to study abroad using a fake name?" Louise asked followed by Kirche, "she never really said anything about herself or her past."

The butler looked like someone who had to pass bad news on, "Studying in another country was ordered by her uncle, The king of Gallia."

Louise took this confirmation of what they had suspected very well, so well that she only chocked on the tea she had picked up and didn't respond otherwise.

"So we were right and she is part of the royal family," Kirche mussed.

"Lady Charlotte is of royal blood," the butler confirmed, "her father was the late count Orleans, the younger brother of the current king."

"So her father is already gone," Louise said mournfully looking at the tea in her hands, knowing that she shouldn't drink anymore if this revelation was how the rest of the conversation was going to pass.

"He was murdered I'm afraid."

Yep, Louise wasn't drinking anymore tea until this conversation was over.

Kirche jerked her head up to look the butler in the eyes, answers being demanded in their depths.

"If you two are people who our small lady trusts with her heart I'm sure its fine." Percerin straightened and announced, "I will trust you, lady Zerbst, Lady Valliere, and tell you a very personal story."

Louise and Kirche leaned in to listen, praying for insight on their friend, "Count Orleans despite being the second son of the royal family was more adept as a mage then his older brother Lord Joseph and more intelligent, further more he was quite full of charisma and talent. Five years ago when the previous king passed away the palace court became bitterly divided over which of the sons was more worthy to take over and rule over as king."

"A battle for the throne," Kirche breathed, aware of how bloody such things could become since Germania was ruled in a similar fashion.

Percerin started to tear up, "during the course of this, filthy battle Count Orleans was murdered by conspiracy." A little known fact was that Percerin had been at his lord's side when the arrow that had claimed the lord's life had struck, the image of the kind Counts agony filled face had never left him.

Kirche teared up, Louise actually started weeping, the emotion that this man was showing them, and the pain that must have been with Tabitha during this time was heart breaking. Her mother's lessons in the rule of steel simply weren't enough to suppress the hurt he was showing.

Breaching away from memories Percerin continued, "Those that put Lord Joseph on the throne, to rid themselves of future challenges, next went after the daughter, Lady Charlotte."

Kirche gasped and Louise looked up through the film of tears. 'Rule of steel'.

"One evening, our grand lady and our small lady were invited to a banquet at a nobleman's home," guilt laced the man's voice, he had failed to protect his lord on that day and now telling of how he had failed to protect the ladies left in his care was even worse in his opinion. "The drink given to our young lady was laced with a water magic poison that induced insanity in whomever drinks it."

"Our grand lady," Percerin cleared his throat, "she must have seen something in the noble who gave the drink to our small lady for she grabbed the drink from her hands and drank it herself."

"The event became public knowledge and the noble responsible was convicted, but the grand lady had sacrificed herself to save the young lady, ever since then the grand lady has been hospitalized within this manor. She has been clutching a doll named Tabitha that she had given our young lady like it was a baby ever since then."

Louise dried her eyes, if Kirche could be strong enough to not cry then she could as well.

"From that point forwards our young lady closed off from people, she once was bright and full of life, but now she holds the pain of losing her family and withdrawn from interaction, as if sealed."

This was his final failure in Percerin's opinion, "there were no more attempts on the young lady's life, but the palace used her high magical talent as reason to send her on dangerous, often near fatal missions. However, she was able to complete every single unjust mission with great success and minimal damages."

"Why did she come to Tristian then?" Louise asked now that she had her emotions under control.

"The palace," Percerin stated with an undercurrent of pure hate, "when they saw that things weren't going according to plan, gave her only the title of chevalier though she had proved herself worthy of being given amble property to govern and sent her away to another country as if to sweep away their problem."

"'To sweep away their problem,' I had something similar in that respect," Kirche said, "I didn't have family die or anything like that but I was the one thing that my family disapproved of with my behavior so they had tried to marry me off and be rid of me." Kirche sighed, "going to the magic academy in Tristian was the only way I could divert their attempts to get rid of me."

Louise felt a little guilty about being so rude to Kirche, there might be more similarities between them then she thought.

At that point the doors opened and emotionally blank Tabitha walked out.

Kirche turned to Louise so that Tabitha couldn't see her mouth move, "Don't talk about this with her now, it is probably to painful right now after visiting her mother," she whispered, Louise nodded.

"Wow Tabitha, you were gone for so long," Kirche said out loud, "I wish to rid myself of the sweat from the journey."

"What sweat?" Louise ask mockingly, "all you did was sit in a carriage."

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

It took most of the day to dig the entrance out so that she could get the pot in and walk without a stoop.

Dirty and sweating Dove couldn't find the energy to finish turning the pot into a bath after all that so she just left it in the hole and walked back.

The moons were high overhead. It was much later then Dove had originally thought, as she darted from the trees into the open area around the academy. 'Stupid, heavy pot,' Dove grumbled internally.

Marching through the entryway Dove noticed that she wasn't the only person who was out late. Sitting at a table was Montmorency, she had a small bottle of drink and a few snacks, it looked almost like a romantic moon watching moment except that there was no partner to share it with.

"Hello, what are you doing out so late?" Dove called to Montmorency.

Montmorency jumped a little at the voice and turned to face the maid walking out of the gloom. "Dove, I didn't see you there," she said covering her fright.

Dove just shrugged, "I noticed, what are you doing out here at night?"

Montmorency didn't answer immediately, instead she picked up her bottle of drink and took a sip from the it, hiding the other stoppered bottle in her hand. "What are you doing out here so late?" she asked, "and you're covered in dirt, did you fall into a pile of dirt or something?"

Dove glanced down, it hadn't been visible with just the moon light but with the nearby torches helping it was obvious that she was covered from head to tail in dirt.

"I was digging, and lost track of time," Dove said honestly.

Montmorency gestured, "then go take a bath, I have a date I'm planning."

"Oh, are you getting back together with Guiche?" Dove asked, curious.

"I want to make sure he isn't go to go after other girls so I am planning to use this night as a test," Montmorency said failing to mention how she was going to 'test' him.

"Alright, I guess I will see to you tomorrow then," Dove said bowing.

"Good night Dove," Montmorency said dismissing the servant as she got ready to use her love potion on Guiche.

She didn't have to wait too long as the blond boy came out to meet her. "Hey, did you wait for me?" the voice of her cheating boyfriend called out from behind her.

Montmorency quickly reassured herself on which drink she had placed the potion in, the one with the golden lining.

"I'm sorry that I called you out here," she started looking at Guiche, "but the moon was just so beautiful that I needed to share it with someone."

"Oh~ my darling, even those two moons would run away in embarrassment in your presence, Montmorency the perfume," Guiche gushed dreamily.

'How many other girls does he say that to?' Montmorency wondered

Guiche made his move and placed an arm around Montmorency's shoulders, pulling her in closer to his body.

Montmorency for a moment wanted nothing more than to sink into those arms. Then she remembered why she had called him out there, "Oh wait," she temporized and pulled out of his embrace.

"I think that we should both have a toast first," Internally she groaned, that had to be an exceptionally lame reason to drink, 'because she thought they should? So stupid,' she berated herself.

Montmorency added a drink to the glass she had placed the potion in.

Dove walked around grumbling. The wash room in the servant's area wasn't working for some reason. That was just stupid to her, the 'wash rooms' were basically a steam bath that while they felt really good, just couldn't compare to a proper bath. Now they were 'out of service'.

Trudging back to the open area on her way to the nobles tower she was planning on sneaking in and using their wash room to get clean from the days digging.

That had been the plan until she saw the couple sitting under the stars. Montmorency was pouring the both of them glasses of what looked like lemonade.

Unable to resist Dove snuck up behind the blond boy.

"My sweet, my Momorency," Guiche was still as smooth and obvious as a playboy wantabe.

"Let's not be impatient," Montmorency seemed to have wised up to her boyfriend's ways and held up her drink, "let's have our toast first."

"In your presence I even forgot how a gentleman ought to behave," Guiche said moving a little closer to her. Montmorency looked like she was going to strange him with irritation.

"LOOK A NAKED LADY FLYING IN THE SKY!" What was Montmorency saying? Dove hadn't seen anything yet Guiche fell for it like an idiot.

"Where? Where?" he asked, his head on a swivel.

"I think she just wanted to see if you would notice," Dove said from just behind them.

Guiche jumped to his feet and twisted around to face the she-demon.

"Dove!" Montmorency started worrying over the possibility of Dove unintendedly getting in her way, "I thought you were going to go take a bath."

"The servants bath isn't working right now," Dove shrugged, "so I'm going to sneak into the nobles bath to clean off."

"It is a major breach of status for a commoner to bathe where only nobles are meant to clean themselves," Guiche proclaimed heatedly. "You would only dirty the room with your presence."

"Two things weakling;" Dove growled, "ONE, I clean those wash rooms so I know how dirty they already are, would it kill you nobles to learn how to pick up after yourself? And TWO," Dove smirked condescendingly, "What are you going to do about it? If you can't remember, I beat you, soundly when you tried to fight me before."

Guiche growled at the reminder.

Montmorency was starting to panic, if he didn't drink then the potion would lose its potency. "Guiche, please just ignore her for now, it doesn't matter to me if she uses the wash room or not. Look at her, she has had a hard day and need to soak in the warmth of cleansing steam. Please just let us drink and be done with it."

Guiche fell onto one knee bowing deeply, "Of course I will drink with you Montmorency," Guiche quickly drained his cup still bowed.

Montmorency felt a thrill of triumph at seeing the liquid disappear. "But I must also inform this maid that the desire to use the same room as one such as you are quite unacceptable," Guiche continued

Guiche rose from his bow, facing Dove, rose wand out stretched.

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Louise and Kirche sat up watching Tabitha sleep, after spending the day with their friend the girls had gone to dinner where Tabitha had been given a parchment, an order from the king.

"How soon will you begin your task?" Percerin asked not letting his anger at what the parchment meant show.

"Tomorrow night," Tabitha said looking over the command.

"I with you the best of luck, my small lady."

"You came home just to do this!" Kirche accused.

Tabitha didn't deny it and instead asked them to wait at her home for her to return.

"There is no way that you can make us stay here and not follow you," Louise said boldly.

"Danger," Tabitha reminded.

"That is why we are going to be coming with you, silly, "Kirche said, "we are coming with you."

Tabitha had given it a moment of thought and caved to the inevitable.

Watching her sleep now she looked so innocent and small.

"NO," both girls jumped at the unexpected noise. Tabitha started tossing and turning in bed, "NO MOTHER PLEASE, DON'T DRINK THAT!"

In a heartbeat Kirche was up and holding the sleeping girl to her chest. The sound of her heart thumping in her chest easing her like a child.

Louise got up and hugged her on the other side, adding her own warmth to the mix.

"Don't worry, let us warm up your pain and melt it away,"

"let go of all your worries and sleep tight, Charlotte."

Late at night the two girls separately decided to protect their friend. It was rather stupid, two girls from foreign lands promising to protect one who seemed to have the hatred of someone high up in the palace, if not the girl's own uncle the king.

But they did it anyway.

* * *

 **I ...**

 **felt something writing Percerin's story.**

 ***ignoring tears***

 **I will decide in a week on who Dove will be partnered with.**

 **this is your last week to sway my mind one way or another.**

 **Also**

 **I have recived other suggestions for other types of relationships that would work better then romantic ones, those are also accepted and cound as a reason why not for the character they are about.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Snark**

 **the dreaded love child of a snail and a shark.**

 **Just to remind you all that I am teaching you interesting facts with every post.**

 **(GO AWAY MAN IN WHITE! I DON"T LIKE THE DISGUSTING CANDIES)**

 **So**

 **a new chapter**

 **New possible mashing...**

 **Familiar of Zero doesn't belong to me and my suggestions for Skyrim were ignored.**

 **I still think that if the dragonborn joined the stormcloaks then you would meet Luke Skywalker.**

* * *

 **Pairings**

 **So it has finally arrived.**

 **The day that I will have to chose who to pair Dovahkiin with someone**

 **PS:**

 **I didn't say today was the day that I had to tell you who I chose.**

 **I could just leave it at,**

 **"I HAVE MADE A DECISION!"**

 **And never comment form there until it becomes obvious.**

 **PPS: check the bottom.**

* * *

 **Kisaragikei: I am very persuadable, my first idea for a pairings was shot down like a fighter piloted by Kermit the frog.**

 **Guest: For the record I forgot to place my spacers until later.**

 **Guest: Odahviing would work as a familiar.**

 **Jackalope89: slash pairing? do you mean multi-pairing? Those "certain" reasons are hard to argue with.**

 **Rickmer: *Slowly stands and applauds* thank you for the visual and lyrics. Your pairing reason is probably the best one I have received, to bad that Sylphid is seen as to young she would have made a great pairing.**

 **derpina: I cant get the images out of my head now, I truly regret describing Odahviings first meeting with Dove as 'kinky'.**

 **89ingenting: I'M NOT LISTENING! although those two would get along and for that very reason.**

 **GGFBank: thanks.**

 **Rook115: she is now paired with someone who has a connection with a dragon. You're right that does narrow it down.**

 **zealous specter: it is Yuri... does yuri mean 'same gender'? because I have heard the term applied to man on man relations but only recently with women on women ones.**

 **MashiroNguyen: the point I was making was that in twilight the lady character (I am glad to have forgotten her name) was basically deciding between bestiality or necrophilia. One of which is illegal.**

 **Akshka: so am I.**

 **Guest000: All of those reasons are correct. I'm a little sad that Louise and Tiffaina aren't the pairing though. The person I have chosen is listed as someone who you think could fall for Dove.**

 **perfectshade: You know that you write about a page worth of notes about my story? THANK YOU FOR THAT! I am trying to write Louise as having grown stronger as a person though Doves help. The water in her cave as mentioned before is rather cold, warm baths don't come from that water unless it is boiled by pot.**

 **Ps bathtubs, kitchen sinks, we use a lot of large water containing things in our life. For Dove's size; I decided that she is five feet five inches, two inches smaller then Kirche (her breasts are also a little smaller but almost un-noticeably so). She had to dig that tunnel out all day to get the pot though. *leans back* you read my mind about Guiche. I think that the spirit would recognize the Gandalfr but her dragon soul wouldn't be felt and so wouldn't lead anywhere.**

 **Thanks for the pairing advice, maybe Dove can help her lover.**

 **XSDStitch: something will be hitting hard.**

 **Guest: she doesn't need magic to put Guiche in his place.**

 **2424011: I have decided, It is a lesbian pairing... the point of 'male' was almost joking about how little guys are in FOZ. My decided pairing is someone I care about so I won't subconsciously fight it.**

 **Boyzilla: Albion is coming, right after this.**

 **DeathstrockNorris: I think that pairings are important, the story of FOZ was majorly pushed ahead by the relationships it teased and I want to add a little bit of that by giving Dove a partner and then (SPOILERS!) to the both of them. (Pm me if you want to know what the spoilers covers, just know that if you do then I will be asking your opinion on it.)**

 **Me Myself and I: Mostly because she didn't want to broadcast her new status, it simply isn't that important to her and it was much more fun to remind him that she can kick his ass instead.**

 **PEJP Bengtzone V2: just for you I double checked google for each of those terms. Kirche might hint at swinging both ways but I think many of those were in teasing.**

 **Properdcay: Sorry but while that would have been a 'hot' pairing I have chosen someone else besides Kirche for the pairing.**

* * *

"What did you do?" Dove asked looking at the blond girl in front of her. There seemed to be a dark shadow hanging over the two of them, despite the fact that they were outside on the green courtyard between the towers and the sun was shining.

Montmorency trembled.

FLASHBACK

"but I must also inform this maid that the desire to use the same room as one such as you is quite unacceptable."

Guiche rose from his bow, facing Dove, rose wand out stretched.

"Now Dove the maid I must… I must inform, I must say, I say you look beautiful, despite the dirt on your dress," Guiche said hazily.

Dove blinked. "What?" she asked, her face heating up.

"In fact," Guiche continued gazing unabashed at her figure.

Montmorency gasped, 'failure!' her mind roared.

"I find the proof of your hard labor for some reason enticing," Guiche said moving closer to Dove as she moved backwards. "Every grain of dirt despite its unflattering brown color is a testament to your hard working personality and caring masterful skill," Guiche dropped his wand hand and raised his open one as if reach for Dove's face.

"Let me help you wash, to remove the stain of your day away in my own bath, perhaps with me helping you reach the parts of you that are hard for you to reach yourself?"

Dove's jaw dropped and her face became redder.

Montmorency moved between the two of them. "Guiche, it would be improper for you to bathe with her quite yet, allow me to help her get ready for the night this time and you can prepare for the days to come instead."

Dove just stood there slack jawed, praying that whatever had effected these two wasn't contagious.

"Of course," Guiche ground out as if the words were a physical pain, "I will restrain myself for now, until the morning, Lady Dove. I will count the seconds." Bowing gracefully as if to a queen he departed.

"What in the name of Akotosh was that?" Dove asked looking at the golden haired girl.

Montmorency breathed a sigh of relief. "Nothing," she quickly said to the disbelieving Dove.

"Then why were the two of you speaking like some characters from a bad romance?" Dove pointed out and asked.

"I… have something I need to check," Montmorency said quickly thinking of some reason to get away and regroup. "I will talk to you tomorrow once I have assured myself of the cause."

Before Dove could say anything against her leaving Montmorency had retreated to the door of the girl nobles' rooms and had vanished inside leaving Dove confused but suspicious of what the girl could have done to cause this.

Dove had quickly gone in and like she planned, used the wash room and left. The unfortunate thing was what she had found outside the wash room door.

"Fair Dove," Guiche was lying in wait right outside the door. "Come with me, for I cannot stand to be without your presence even while I sleep. Please grace me with yourself at least until my eyes close."

Dove froze in her sleep wear. There was something diffidently wrong with Guiche.

When she didn't respond he moved closer. Dove reacted on instinct.

*Crack-sliidd*

Guiche got his wish of her being with him until his eyes closed, unfortunately they closed when Dove's right cross introduced his face to the wall and he slumped down it to sleep in a heap on the ground.

FLASHBACK END

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Dove didn't take any chances and pushed her bed up against the door in order to keep the persistent mage out of her room. Her caution was well worth it as she had found a basket of gifts outside her door and Siesta had told her about 'young lord Guiche's affections' when she had found him pushing on her door.

Dove had immediately sought out Montmorency and now we returned to where this chapter started.

"Well," Montmorency started but had to stop when she thought about all the things Dove would probably do to her when she found out.

Dove leaned in, almost into her face, "Spit. It. Out." she growled.

"ImighthavelacedGuiche'sdrinkwithalovepotion," Montmorency burst out, not meeting the maid's eyes.

Dove blinked, puzzling out what Montmorency had said. "A… love potion?" Dove clarified.

Montmorency nodded. "I had placed a love potion in his drink," she said thinking that Dove would appreciate her clarity.

"Why were you slipping love potion into your boyfriend's drink?" Dove wanted to get the exact reason.

"I wanted to stop him from flirting with other girls," Montmorency muttered.

"And now he's flirting with someone who doesn't want him," Dove groaned, reaching up she rubbed her head. "How long until this potion wears off?"

Montmorency sighed, "A month I think," Montmorency then reevaluated her potion, "or maybe a year," she hedged.

*Crack*

Montmorency winced as she heard the sound Dove's finger clench so hard that they cracked like breaking stone.

"HOW LONG?!" Dove screeched.

"That's the best guess I can give you," Montmorency stammered.

"There has to be a way to get rid of the potions effects," Dove growled, eyeing the mage and expecting the answer to come from her.

"I know of a way," Montmorency said, wanting to get this over with and make another batch for her Guiche.

"Then do it."

Montmorency groaned, "I would but I need a potion ingredient that isn't anywhere nearby."

No matter how often she saw it, Dove was still shocked at how lazy the nobles could be. "Is it within a day's ride?" She asked pleasantly, a light smile growing on her face.

Montmorency frowned, not trusting the sudden mood Dove was showing. "It's within a day's journey. A full half day on horseback to be precise. The location is Lake Lagdorian. Where water mages make deals with a water spirit for her tears to make the potion we need."

"Then pack your bags, we are going to visit this lake tomorrow," Dove said lightly.

Montmorency gasped, "Tomorrow? But I have plans."

Dove reached down and placed her hand on Montmorency's shoulder. "I'm sure that you can find time to come with me." She grinned, "In fact I am as sure that you can find the time as I am sure that this potion you made is illegal."

Montmorency's shock was palpable. "Think about it," Dove said watching Montmorency's face drain of color, "this potion obviously isn't sold freely or I would have heard about it just by visiting the local stores, it effects the emotional state of the drinker and isn't listed as a controlled substance. Yet you were desperate enough to make it and slip it into your boyfriend's drink. It must be illegal."

Montmorency groaned again. "...fine," she said simply, "I will go there tomorrow."

"I'm coming with you," Dove interjected.

Montmorency fixed a look at Dove, "you don't trust me?"

Dove shook her head, "it's not that Montmorency, I'm interested in this water spirit, and it would get me away from Guiche for a few days. Something my hands would need if last night was any indication."

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Dove walked up to the headmaster's office. Nervously she plucked at her robes, she had been given a school girls uniform, skirt, blouse and cape, with a pentagon engraved pendant finished the look.

Dove had a woven leather headband that she had placed in her hair to keep out of her face and doubled as a way to hide her ears.

Today, after her talk with Montmorency, Dove was going to have her first lesson with old Osmond. Pushing open the door Dove hoped that this wouldn't be like the last time she had agreed to take magic classes.

Inside was Osmond and a small pile of books.

So no field-trips to ancient ruins that will lead to giant floating balls today.

"Hello Dove," Osmond greeted from his spot behind the desk. As he watched her Osmond decided that if she wasn't holding the threat of pie removal over his head he have instantly sent his familiar out to find what todays color and fabric was. Why didn't all his staff and fellow teachers look like her?

Gesturing for her to come closer Osmond flicked his hand towards the pile of books on his desk, "Today and tomorrow I would like you to just read these and get a base of understanding our type of magic and then I hope that you will tell me about your people kind of magic so that I may know how to properly instruct you."

Dove sighed in relief, she could have the reading done in time to go tomorrow. Now she didn't have to ask Osmond to put her learning on hold. "Thank you for the books Osmond," She said and picked up the small pile.

"Before you go," Osmond said quickly, "I would like to know a little about the history of your people's magic, so that I can start learning how to teach you."

"Well," Dove thought back on the legends she heard, "I don't wish to offend your religion, but the story of our magic takes us back to the creation of the world. I'm afraid that I would be called a heretic by your people and an inquisition wouldn't be a fun thing to be the guest of honor to."

Osmond blinked, he had a theory that there must have been a mage who had traveled faraway and come into contact with some magical people to teach them how to use their talents, to find that they had no record of a great teacher or someone who might fit the bill of a first contact mage from his own land was surprising.

Instead some creation theory was their reason for receiving the founder's gift to worthy humanity.

"I won't tell anyone," Osmond assured her, "I will put my religion on hold to hear your tale, please feel free to tell me."

Dove felt a little more at ease, "Alright," she put her trust in Osmond. "Magnus was the god who designed the mortal realm, after it was completed he didn't like it, ordered the project terminated and left for the realm of Aetherius. Doing so he tore a hole through Oblivion; like tunneling through a wall in-between two rooms; Nir, the mortal realm and Aetherius, the god's realm being those rooms with Oblivion as the space in the wall."

"Through this hole, Magicka from Aetherius flowed into Nir. Other beings left in similar fashions creating smaller tares. These holes are the sun and stars. Because of these holes in the world our unborn child are exposed to natural magicka in the womb and develop the ability to produce their own magicka. Depending on the positions of the holes above us, the constellations you are born under, you can gain the use of greater or lesser magic and are more likely to lead influential or boring lives."

"So," Osmond started processing this tale, "The stars are magical and you gain your magic power from them?"

"That is what I was taught," Dove responded.

"Then how is it that no one else save your people have these powers? You are simply put; powerful by our standards, and if you are any measuring stick for your people then shouldn't the stars have affected us as well?" Osmond finished up his thoughts on the matter of Magicka.

"I thought about it, and the answer is hanging over our heads," Dove said a little cryptically.

"What is it then?" Osmond asked confusedly.

"Before I arrived I had never heard of your land, and then I noticed that the moons at night were different colors then the ones above my land. I think that when I got pulled into the summoning ritual with Dovahkiin we both got taken from our world, our realm and brought to this one." Dove paused and let her suspicions sink in.

Osmond raised any eyebrow, "What makes you so sure?"

"I wasn't at first," Dove said, "But like I said, the stars can predict when powerful people are born so we all learn about them rather young, especially the ones we were born under. Some people have dedicated their lives to studying them trying to find the next 'hero' of the world. I haven't seen any of the stars I would expect to find above our heads, so unless the divines have decided to move the stars around for fun, I think I have ended up in a new world."

What Dove didn't mention was that she had already suspected it since Sheogorath was the one swinging the Wabbajack around to send her here.

"If that is so then wouldn't you lose the ability to use magic when you arrived here?" Osmond asked confused.

Dove shook her head, "the ability to use magic is given by the stars but the energy for the spells comes from the user. When we run out energy we have to wait for it to replenish."

"So no one could gain your level of magical strength because they weren't born in your land," Osmond summed up wistfully.

Dove shifted so that her head was looking thoughtfully up as if looking for the stars in question. "I might be able to give magicka to people who weren't born with the ability through concentrated potions, but I haven't tested this idea at all," she said out loud as her inquisitive side wondered what a magicka replenishing potion would do to someone who never had magicka in the first place.

Osmond was half thinking about the training she would have to go through to learn their style of magic, the other half was thinking about a potion that could increase one's magical abilities.

Osmond shook his head, "I hope to see you in a day or two Dove," he said shutting his thought on that topic down for now. "If you have any questions then feel free to talk to me."

"I will headmaster," Dove said with a quick bow then picked up the pile of books and left, hoping to have them done by tomorrow.

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"Now where do you go?" Dove asked as she sat on her horse at a cross road. She still wanted to be on her feet instead of on a horse but her companion had thrown a hissy fit and so they were riding.

"We go down the grassy road instead of the main road now," Montmorency said pointing ahead, "the lake should be just over this hill."

"Great, I don't think I could stand another night with Guiche trying to get into my room," Dove groaned, remembering that this time Guiche had tried to force the window to her room open and serenade her.

Montmorency growled. "Most common girls would be happy to get a young lord after their hearts," she snapped, offended that her Guiche meant so little in the eyes of the cook.

"I like my privacy," Dove stated and left it at that.

Cresting the hill Montmorency froze. "What is it?" Dove questioned the still girl.

Before them was a exceptionally large lake with islands of trees dotting it.

"The water spirit must be angry, look at how high the water is," Montmorency pointed and Dove could make out the roofs of houses that were almost completely under water sticking up like leafs floating in a puddle.

"What could have done this?" Dove asked looking closely for any sign that people had gotten hurt in the flood.

"I don't know," Montmorency answered, "There could be any number of reasons that the spirit would flood her lake."

"So," Dove changed topics a little, "how are we supposed to summon the water spirit?"

"We need to wait for the sun to start going down," Montmorency illuminated, "then we will be able to summon her."

"Got it," Dove said gratefully jumping off the horse and settling down next to a tree.

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Waiting was very hard for some, but for Dove she could sit around and wait for hours with very little in the way of breaks except for a minor stretch and walk every hour or so.

The sun slowly set and a golden red light soon covered the land. Montmorency approached the lake water. Lifting up her familiar, Robin the frog, she placed a drop of blood on her head. "Robin I need you to find the water spirit, this drop of blood should let her know it is me who is calling for her. Tell her that someone who once made a contract with her is waiting on the shore and wants to talk to her, okay?"

"Ribit," Robin answered and hopped into the lake.

"Are all familiars sentient?" Dove asked.

"What do you mean?" Montmorency asked confused at where this question had come from.

"It's just that Dovahkiin can talk, and when you talk to Robin it looks like you expected an answer. That and Old Osmond once asked his mouse questions and apparently got a response that he could interpenetrate back."

"Most familiars can on some level understand their mages," Montmorency said glancing back at the maid. "When I tell Robin something I can tell that he will be able do what I ask."

"Strange," Dove murmured.

Any other words they might have shared were covered by the sound of water splashing like in a great waterfall. Going in reverse.

The spout of water was probably thirty feet out into the lake and twenty-five high.

"Wow, the memories," Derf mused from his place on Dove's back.

Dove ignored him and watched Montmorency.

"I am Montmorency Margarita, a water mage belonging to a family with whom you have a lasting pact," Montmorency called out loudly in a formal tone. "Spirit, if you remember anything about my blood please appear to me now and answer in a way we can recognize."

'That sounds ritualistic,' Dove commented silently.

The spout of water rippled and a sound like small bells was heard. The wild movement of the water stilled and coalesced into a form that looked like a women made out of water. The figure actually looked a little bit like Montmorency.

"I remember," the water spirit's voice was a regal tenor and slightly echoing, each word she said was accompanied by a flash of blue light from within the figures chest. "Lonesome one," the spirit continued, "I remember the fluid that courses through your body."

'That sounds sketchy,' Dove commented in her head but didn't vocalize.

"I'm glad that you remember me water spirit," Montmorency said without moving from her spot or changing the formal tone of her voice, "for I have a favor to ask of you."

"What favor?" the spirit asked.

"I would live very much to have a small piece of you."

Dove coughed very un-lady like into her hand.

"I decline your request, lonesome one."

Dove snapped out of her humor and focused her gaze on the spirit. "Why are you declining her request? Surely you have enough water to heal the amount we ask of you?" Dove called out taking a stand and drawing the spirits attention.

"Who is this lonesome one?" The spirit asked looking at Dove.

"This is Dove," Montmorency said gesturing to the maid. "Bow to her, or do something to please her," Montmorency whispered.

Dove gave her a look and took a pace forwards, "back to what I said, you are a spirit of water, in a currently overflowing lake, I think that you can spare us the water needed to make a potion to cure a friend of the lonesome one," Dove said adopting the spirits word to call Montmorency.

"I am busy increasing the waters of this lake because something was stolen from me, an artifact I have long guarded has been taken and I plan on steadily increase the waters of this lake until the artifact has been returned to me. This is why I can't spare the water to make a tear for you," the water spirit explained.

"So why don't I get you back this artifact in exchange for the tear?" Dove asked.

The spirit was silent and seemed to lose its shape.

"You-you idiot!" Montmorency growled and glared at Dove, "you probably just cost us any chance at getting that tear!"

Dove glanced at Montmorency, "What did I do?"

"You were rude to her now she probably won't help us." Montmorency stated, venom in her glare.

Dove was taken aback by the harsh look. "HEY," she snapped, turning to face Montmorency, "all I did was suggest that we help her get what she wanted in exchange for giving us what we need. I wasn't rude," she growled back.

"Yes you were," Montmorency stated back even though she didn't believe her own words, "why else would she stop talking to us?"

"I don't know, you are supposed to be the authority on this spirit," Dove pointed out with a glare.

"We have come to a decision."

Both girls jerked back around to face the tower of water that had regained a human shape.

"If you can return my artifact I will give you my tear," the spirit stated.

Dove thought for a moment, "how long do you think it would take to find the people who stole your artifact?"

"I do not know," the spirit deadpanned, "I am a spirit bound to this lake. Besides it doesn't matter how long it takes for I am immortal and don't care if it takes you until tomorrow or a hundred years."

Dove thought about it. She might be immortal so it would be possible for her to fulfill this promise. "We agree," Dove smirked at Montmorency and turned back to the spirit ignoring the other girl's shocked look, "what can you tell us about the thief, and could we get the tear now before we return the artifact?"

"There were two groups, one that stole the artifact and another that came later and has since traversed the land under my waters as if looking for something more," the spirit said considering their question. "If you get rid of the returning group I will give you what you ask for now."

"What was stolen from you?" Dove asked to get a clear picture of what she was now after.

"Andvari's ring, a silver ring with a square dark purple stone set in it," the spirit said.

"No way," Montmorency screeched shaking her head, "There is no way that I'm going to fight some group of thieves!"

"Oh you don't have to," Dove said pleasantly.

"I don't?" Montmorency asked surprised at Doves words.

"Nope, you can go back to academy and turn yourself in for creating an illegal potion. Since if you leave me here alone, then I will tell them myself."

"I'll stay," Montmorency murmured not meeting Dove's smiling face.

"Great, I thought you would see it my way," Dove said, "I guess that now we just wait for the second group to show up and then we beat their butts until they tell us about the first group."

"Fine."

The water spirit dissolved back into the lake and the two mages moved into the trees getting ready to wait again.

"Hey, Montmorency?" Dove asked as she sat down.

"What is it Dove?" Montmorency responded as she leaned against a tree.

"Have you heard of Andvari's ring before?" Dove hoped to get a better understanding of why someone would want this ring.

"I think I heard that it is a magical ring that is said to grant artificial life," Montmorency said helpfully.

"...So, we are dealing with necromancers?" Dove asked, warily.

"I guess so," Montmorency said shrugging.

"Why does it always have to be necromancers," Dove groaned, flopping down on the ground and throwing a silent tantrum, thumping her hands against the ground and kicking her feet like a child.

Every single time she had ever gone into a tomb or a burrow or sometimes just walking on the road least traveled, she had run into either treasure hunters or necromancers, would it kill them to plan on disturbing the dead on a day when she wouldn't have to be the one to stop them?

Montmorency just sweat dropped at her companion's antics and then ignored her.

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The sun sank the rest of the way down and the stars started to appear.

Dove grew even more on edge; the vanishing light was going to make this even harder.

Finally, there was movement near the edge of the lake. Dove slowly got up and pointed it out to Montmorency.

"Look, three figures in black," Dove said pointing, "why is it always black?"

"You have much experience with necromancers?" Montmorency asked rhetorically rolling her eyes.

"Yes."

"Anyway, I think I can cause a distraction with water magic," Montmorency changed the topic, looking at how close the group was to the edge of the lake.

"That could work," Dove said thoughtfully, "if you can get them looking across the water then I should be able to get up behind them close enough to use Derf."

Montmorency frowned, "you are a mage and yet you are going to use a sword instead of your magic?"

Dove shrugged, "Magic is a powerful tool but if you become reliant on it then you will lose every time, especially if you drop your stick."

Montmorency rolled her eyes, "Fine."

At the water's edge the group of three mages stopped and the foremost one raised his/her staff into the air. Light started to shine from the end of the staff as it was waved around and the air seemed to rush towards the group.

'air mage,' Dove thought remembering what the country would call someone who used the element she was seeing.

Montmorency moved into the open behind the three figures.

"Water strike," she said softly and pointed her wand at the water just in front of the group. Instantly the still lake waters swirled like a miniature whirlpool, getting the groups attention.

The water suddenly burst from the lake not unlike the spout the water spirit had come from, only this time it stayed an unformed mass and was only the size of a pole. The water 'punched' upwards and actually hit the smallest one of the group knocking him/her down.

The triangle like formation was broken as the tallest darted for their fallen comrade. The second smallest person twisted around to point his/her staff at Montmorency, instantly a minor tornado rushed towards the mage.

Montmorency dived to the side as the air attack passed just over her head.

Dove raced forwards Derf pulled from her back.

"Wuld Nah Kest!" the world blurred around her as she was thrust forward. The tallest dark figure thrust forth his/her wand and a burst of fire rushed for the faster mage.

Dove baseball slid under the fire ball and was back up to running as it passed over her head.

Upon arrival she swung the flat of her blade at the mages side.

The mage wasn't fast enough to dodge the sword and cried out, her voice marking it as female as she fell to the side.

"Zun Haal Viik!" Dove shouted at the second smallest mage that also happened to be the last one standing.

The air mage dodged to the side, sprawling as the wave of ethereal air burst over his/her body.

"Dove?" the smallest person questioned from the ground.

Dove jerked around to look at the smallest mage, the moons light reviled the hooded figure who was the first on the ground removing her hood, it was just who her voice sounded like, "Louise? What are you doing here?" Dove asked in total confusion.

"What are you doing here?" Louise asked back.

"Wait… You left with Kirche and Tabitha so that means..." Dove quickly glanced at the other figures who were swiftly climbing to their feet, the tall _red head_ holding her side.

"Oops. Hey, Montmorency, their friendly!"

Montmorency had ducked back into the trees as soon as her part was over. She stuck her head out and saw the pink hair of Louise. "W-what are they doing here," she called out if relief and confusion.

"I don't know, I was going to ask and apologize," Dove called back.

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After the very embarrassing "sorry for hitting you with a sword," speech they were told about how Tabitha's family had asked her to look into the swelling lake. Dove narrowed her eyes as she caught a look that passed over Louise's face as she mentioned Tabitha's family, but didn't comment. In return Dove gave her the story about the thief and the ring.

Louise groaned, "How are we supposed to lower the water if the spirit is angry about a stolen ring?"

"We could go ask the spirit to lower the water level?" Dove suggested.

"We said that we would catch those thieves and return her ring," Montmorency mused, "Maybe if we show that we have stopped the second group from returning she would return the water to the right level."

Louise and Kirche glanced to Tabitha, not doing anything without her nod.

Dove noticed this sudden and interesting increase in their respect and deference to the small cerulean and decided to ask about it later.

"Worth a shot," Kirche shrugged after the nod.

Montmorency returned to the water's edge and summoned the water spirit. "We have stopped the second group, they weren't thieves but mages looking to find what had caused you to flood the area," Montmorency informed the spirit

"I see," the spirit said.

"We have asked them to stop scouring under your water, in exchange they want you to stop overflowing the land and displacing the people of this area," Montmorency continued.

"I need to keep producing water or I will never get the ring back," the spirit said.

"But you have our word to return the ring," Dove said breaking from the group of bystanders and taking a rather disrespectful stance. "We will get you this ring and you would only be drawing attention and difficulty upon yourself if you keep on driving people away with your flooding. You have time to wait, so be patient and let us have a chance," she 'reasoned'.

"Why can't you be polite? Would you explode or something?" Montmorency hissed at Dove who ignored her and watched the spirit instead.

"Maybe, I haven't tried it often enough to find out."

"I admit you have a point," the spirit said surprising Montmorency. "It would be much harder to fight the mages of this land and create more water at the same time," it said.

"So you will pull back the waters and give us a fair chance to get the ring back?" Dove asked.

The spirit was silent for a few minutes as it seemed to be contemplating Dove's question. "Fine," the spirit finally answered, "I will give you time to find my ring."

"Thank you," Dove said, "Could you give us any more information on the first group the ones who stole your ring?"

"They were led by a person called 'Cromwell', that is the end of my knowledge," the spirit said.

"Again, thank you."

The spirit faded back into the lake.

"Dove," Louise called out.

"Yes Louise?" Dove asked.

"Are you only rude to people in authority?" Louise asked, "I have only seen you be rude to people who hold authority and polite to basically everyone else, including academy staff."

"I find that people in authority need to occasionally be reminded that they are still human like us," Dove shrugged, ignoring the fact that she wasn't human.

Louise sighed at her familiars lack of poise.

"So… anyone up for camping out under the stars tonight?"

* * *

 **So.**

 **Three things:**

 **ONE: I think I have given enough clues in my responses to reviews for someone to easily figure out who I have paired Dove with, if you think it is to hard and just want a straight (chuckle, I'm so mature) answer then review for one and I might give it to you in the next chapter.**

 **TWO: I took most of the knowledge about magic in Elder scrolls from the UESPWiki and then used my own interpretations based on what they said. If you don't like my interpretations then Review about them and together we can work those issues out.**

 **Three: I was 'studying' Skyrim when I came across a random person on the road, it was a necromancer. I fought and killed him. Then I talked to a guy who needed help with a necromancer invading his family tomb. I helped. Then I did the Azura star quest that had me fighting, you guessed it, Necromancers. Giving up I went on a quest to find a dog. that can talk, and lead me to a cave where there were a crap ton of VAMPIRES who are basically treasure hunters and necromancers in my book. and after all of this I stopped playing for the day.**

 **I hope you can forgive Dove's/my tantrum at learning that they might be facing Necromancers.**

 **PS: Seriously, it should be blindingly obvious who the pairing is with the responses, I just don't want to say it out right.**


	16. Chapter 16

**The fireplace was roaring, casting a yellow-orange light across the room**

 **The only thing not illuminated in the almost bare space was a high backed chair directly in front of the fireplace and the end table next to it.**

 **The clawed hand of the Narrator emerged from the chair to stroke the pure white feline on the table.**

 **"Sup?"**

* * *

 **First thing I would like to say is SORRY.**

 **the Ps ending my last chapter was apparently taken as me being rude and possibly calling people stupid.**

 **I would like to let you all know that this wasn't my intention, I had put a clue that was extremely obvious in the answering reviews section and wrote the Ps to indicate it.**

 **Later I removed the clue because it was to obvious and forgot to remove the Ps.**

 **Sorry if it sounded like I was calling people who couldn't figure it out stupid.**

* * *

 **Guest000: I neither confirm or Deny any people suggested on the list of possible pairings.**

 **GGFBank: I don't think that the water spirit could tell, she honestly didn't seem that observant to me, that and there wasn't anything really obvious about Dove to indicate that there was something different about her.**

 **redburningdragon: thanks.** **I neither confirm or Deny any people suggested on the list of possible pairings. I don't think a calm spell would help Tabitha's mom, it would have to be something more in my opinion.**

 **alexkehling: *note to self, if end up in game with this person kill them first, he/she uses the same stratigy as me* I really hate the drain life spell as well, "I just spent three minutes killing you and now you stole my life?"**

 **Bl4nk: That's what you get for not living you life by the code of SniperN0sniping~. I don't think I would say it went according to plan, the person I originally thought of pairing Dove with got slammed and now it's someone else. She healed his sorry butt because she didn't want to kill the boy turned stalker/lover. Tab's mother belonging to Sheo... I could work with that.**

 **VulpineSnow: *Note to self, if end up in game with this person kill them second, his/her strategy annoys me ;}***

 **KL StarBlaze: thank you for you lack of caring about my decision, the not at the top is for you.**

 **PEJP Bengtzone V2: The idea of a 6000 year old anything 'putting liquid in me' absolutely disgusts me, even if it is for extreme knowledge and power. Dove would ether say that they are Orcs or Goblins, neither have three eyes so they wouldn't look like any trolls she has seen. Pre-summoning flashbacks for Dove... I hadn't thought of any, if a situation comes up where it's needed then I would happily make one up. mixing species from Skyrim would be fun, but it makes about as much sense to my as mixing humans and elites from Halo.**

 **Me Myself and I: thanks for pointing out the forgotten 'N'. I read the Unofficial Skyrim Wiki and described the origin of magic as it made sense to me, sorry if you don't agree with my theory but that's where I think the ability to use magic comes from. If anyone can point me to the exact lore of where the ability to use magic comes from in Skyrim, then I would listen.**

 **madlord13: I think he would be as well, that's why he will be making an appearance in my story.**

 **Guest: that would be a very good reason for Akotosh to resurrect Alduin and try to force the two of them together.**

 **Indecisive Bob:... maybe.**

 **perfectshade: I think that may have to do with my style of writing, I forgot to give a full description since I was hiding Dove's ears for the surprise at dinner in the second chapter and forgot to write anymore on it afterwards.**

 **Yup, that's totally why the spirit missed it, not because I don't think the spirit can sense souls, I double checked the Wiki and nothing on soul sensing ability for the spirit, only that she trusted the Gandolfr. I hope that a more mature Guiche would save lives in the campaign, maybe Dove could give him pointers on leading. It would be funny to add more on Montmorency's surprise when watching Dove break down about necromancers, but I felt like I was inserting myself as a writer on Dove already and didn't want to change Montmorency as well for it.**

 **For Guiche under the potion, I was tying to write a little drunk as well as in love person. oops, I honestly thought Louise was the smallest. I remember from the anime that there seemed to be phrases used that no one in that time zone should know, 'major malfunction' being the one I can think of off the top of my head, so I felt okay using the term baseball slide (even if I worried about it at first for this exact reason). Thanks for the adorable comment.**

 **Rook115:...Opps. The question now is; what kind of sock was it? stockings? wool? polyester? running? WHAT KIND OF SOCK WAS EVIDENT ON KIRCHE'S FEATURES!? :P**

* * *

Sleeping out under the stars wasn't a good idea when you had almost no blankets and the ground was soaking wet.

However, the girls powered through it and spent the night there and broke up into two different groups the next morning. Louise decided to come back with Dove and Montmorency, Tabitha and Kirche decided to go back to Tabitha's home for their cloths before returning to the academy.

Dove was excited because now she could work on a plan how to teach Louise Skyrim magic and attend her own magic class from Osmond.

The Magicak restoration potion she had been talking about with Osmond was a simple magicka potion to make but since no one in this country had any magicka naturally in them to begin with it raised many questions about how the mage's body would react to the magical drink.

Either way it would be an interesting experiment to conduct and she could start teaching after she made sure that Louise's death isn't one of the possible outcomes.

Dove walked next to her horse as the two of them arrived back at the academy.

"I guess that I will make the potion for you," Montmorency said as she moved off, making for her own room.

"That's' right," Louise said clapping her little fist into her open palm in a realization manor, "you guys didn't say why you two where at the lake in the first place."

"Oh, Guiche drank a few of Montmorency's potions and ended up acting rather shamefully," Dove lied because she didn't want Montmorency to get in trouble, she might have caused the problem to begin with but she also helped fix it making them equal in Dove's book.

Louise looked questioningly at Dove, "Shameful? How?"

"MY LOVE!"

Guiche came flying from the academies doors. Before the echo of his voice had faded, he had closed the distance between him and the maid in a flying tackle.

Dove went down in a tangle of arms and legs only for them to end up with Guiche straddling her waist with his forehead touching hers.

"Why did you leave me my angel?" he breathed, gazing lovingly into her eyes only an inch from her face as he.

"..."

"..."

"I see," Louise said a full minute later as the shock started to pass.

Dove waited for the noble boy to remove himself from on top of her and plotted his slow death.

He didn't move.

"I guess I will see you later Dove," Louise said still watching the intensely gazing noble. Anger and some other emotion Louise couldn't recognize filled her as she moved off.

"Now that we are alone…" Guiche said moving his head to the side while whispering in her ear. His arms going under shoulders to pull her into an embrace, closing his eyes to smell her hair.

"No one will witness what I do to you," Dove finished for him, cracking her clenched knuckles by her side.

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Dove sighed as she calmed down in her room. Guiche would survive the condition she had left him in since she had seen Montmorency use magic to pick up what was left of the blond after she left.

Dove massaged her red (slightly wet) knuckles as she tried to relief the ache she had acquired.

The day was just starting and she was glad that she could complete the plans she had set up for the rest of the day.

Getting up she left her room and made her way towards Professor Colbert's classroom. "Hello? Professor?" Dove called out as she entered his room without knocking. He apparently wasn't there.

Dove quickly moved to the cabinet and pulled out a spare set of chemical glassware, a small moor and pestle, and a small cloth.

Wrapping the cloth around the glass Dove walked out of the classroom and towards the entrance to the academy.

"Dove, wait!" a voice surprised Dove by calling out to her from the stairs of the girls wing.

Turning around to look, Dove saw Louise waving her over and breathing a little hard. Surprise flashed across Dove's face and she started towards Louise.

"Hurry, come to my room!" Louise shouted between breaths and then darted back into the tower.

Dove did just that. Clutching the 'borrowed' glassware to her chest, she jogged across the green grass, darted up the nearest set of stairs and flew to the door where her summoner stayed only to screech to a stop just inside the doorway.

Sitting on the bed was the princess of Tristian.

Dove was surprised, some would say shocked, so much so that she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind instead of something smart. "I won't apologize."

The Princess and Louise both blinked and looked to Dove in confusion. "Apologize for what?" the Princess asked confused.

Dove turned red, "nothing."

She might have removed something from that Lard who was rude to Louise back at the fairy inn apart from his dignity.

The princess didn't look convinced about her innocence but dropped the topic.

"I have already explained to Louise, but I have an urgent request for the both of you," she said gesturing for Dove to come further into the room and close the door.

Dove closed the door and turned back to the princess. "Is this an 'urgent request' or and order?" Dove asked.

"Dove!" Louise chastised, "she is asking for our help, we shouldn't deny her request."

Dove rolled her eyes, "I didn't say we shouldn't help her. I just asked if this was a request or and order she was disguising as a request."

The princess blushed a little. "It is a request," she assured, "but that is because I don't want to order someone else. No it's because I can't order anyone else, it is far too personal for that."

Dove raised an eyebrow. "What is?" she asked.

"I am to marry a family in Germania," The princess started.

"M-Marry into a country of upst-" Louise started until Dove clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Let her finish, then tell her how flawed her plan is if you can think of any flaws," Dove counseled the pink mage.

The princess sighed as this calmed her friend down. "There is nothing I can do about it. In order to keep our small country of Tristian protected then I would need to form a strong bond with a much more powerful kingdom."

Dove huffed. "There is often no stronger bond in politics than a man's dick," she muttered angrily.

The princess and Louise turned a dark pink. "Quite," the Princess said without looking at the glowering Bosmer.

"There is just one problem with my marriage," the Princess continued when her face didn't burn quite as much.

"What is that?" Dove asked, she hadn't been to any marriage in Skyrim, in her adopted homeland all you needed was some amulet that she simply hadn't found the time or desire to use.

"I need someone to retrieve a certain object from Prince Wales of Albion; a letter," the princess said standing up and turning towards the foggy window, hiding her face.

Dove narrowed her eyes, "this letter can end your marriage?" she asked.

"Yes," the princess focused on keeping her voice level.

"Isn't Albion in the middle of a coup d'etat?" Louise asked thoughtfully.

"Yes it is politically unstable right now," the princess confirmed.

"So the nobles of Albion wanted more power so they started a coup?" Dove wondered out loud.

"Basically, yes" The Princess agreed.

"NINE RUTH THE NOBILITY!" Dove shrieked, couldn't they be happy with the boat load of power they already had?

"Nine ruth?" the princess asked Louise who shrugged.

"I think she curses in another language to not offend people," Louise supplied.

The princess quickly dried the tears she was hiding. "I have someone coming in an hour to help support the two of you-" she started.

"I would like to volunteer."

The princess turned to face the door as it flew open and Louise moved in front of her.

Dove twisted around to face the door, hands stretched outwards ready to burn the intruder. In the hallway was Guiche of all people.

"What are you doing here?" Dove asked coldly.

Guiche winced and unconsciously closed his legs a bit more at the tone the maid was taking with him, even if he did deserve it just a little bit.

"I was following you to apologize to you for my behavior over the last few days," Guiche said an abashed look on his face. His eyes hardened a little and he came into the room, "When I arrived at the room I saw you enter I overheard what you were talking about I just had to volunteer for the mission."

Dove really wished she had broken something in Guiche instead of allowing him to remain whole.

Guiche knelt awaiting his majesties decision. "Please consider me, Guiche De Gramont, as suitable for this task."

The princess was seriously considering it. Dove was waiting to kick him out of the room. Louise stood unable to decide if she was angry at the intruder or pleased that Guiche was willing to help her friend in her moment of need.

"You are the son of General Gramont?" Henriette said questioningly.

"Yes," Guiche said simply.

Dove raised an eyebrow. "Alright, I thank you for your selflessness," the princess said in a heartfelt voice.

Dove groaned, "I have a few things to grab, where and when are leaving from?"

The princess looked around at all the volunteers she had asked of; Louise was settling into a determined frown, Guiche had a happy and just as determined look already on his face, Dove was looking like she was going over supplies lists in her head.

"Thank you all," she felt truly choked up at the support she was receiving, "I have one more person coming from the palace. He will arrive in about an hour, you have until then to get ready."

Dove nodded, she would have to hurry to get everything ready in time. "You couldn't have told us about this trip earlier?" she groaned, "Now what should I do about Osmond? I was supposed to have a lesson with him today."

"I can convince him to let you go," the princess said helpfully, since she was asking them to drop everything for her.

Dove nodded, "Louise," she said looking at the pink mage, "Get cloths and food for several days. Guiche, get packed and ready horses for you and Louise. I've got things to grab." With that Dove marched out the door.

Louise and Guiche stood there for a second, surprised that anyone would leave without the proper permission from the ranking majesty in the room before bowing and getting to work.

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Dove darted out past the wall around the academy and into the surrounding woods. Arriving at her hole she slowed down and ducked into the dark tunnel.

'Giant Lichen, White cap, wish I had some Ectoplasm,' she thought as she recalled what she had found in this small hole and what she wished she could have found.

Setting down her bundle Dove turned her large basin over so that she had a raised platform to work on. 'I'm going to need to make some furniture in the near future,' Dove thought before turning her thoughts to the ground.

"Fungal pod, with Blisterwort," she murmured as she started plucking the plants from off the ground around her.

Placing the plants around the improvised circular table, Dove got to work.

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Louise and Guiche stood in the fog that accompanied the sun this morning by the entrance to the academy, waiting for Dove and the volunteer from the palace to arrive.

"Hey Louise," Guiche asked getting said girl's attention. "What is there between you and Dove?" he continued, "you two seem to spend a lot of time together and you seem happier whenever she is around."

Louise thought back. She was happier and it was mostly because of her growing attachment to Dovahkiin/Dove. This bond had grown a lot from the beginning when she was terrified of Dove leaving her to the now easy relationship they had. "I like her," Louise said, "she is my best friend at the academy and I feel attached to her. Apart from that I don't know what else to say. Why do you ask?"

Guiche shrugged, "I was curious. You two seemed so close yet I couldn't figure out why."

Louise returned to splitting her attention between the academy, the ring on her finger that had been given to her by the princess, and the road, watching for both Dove and the volunteer.

After a few minutes there was a shift in the morning fog and a dark figure that resolved itself into Dove came into sight from it.

She was wearing her fighting cloths but had on her leather headband instead of her maids' head piece. Diagonally over her shoulder and around her waist was a multipack satchel with simple leather buckles.

"I thought you were still inside the academy," Louise said by way of greeting.

"I had to get something in the woods," Dove said with a shrug.

Guiche was interested, "What could you possibly need in the woods? There is nothing in there."

Dove rolled her eyes, "there are plenty of things if you are smart enough know where to look for them," she answered.

"So," Dove ignored the indignant look she was receiving and changed the topic, "What's with the third horse?"

Guiche lifted the reins of a third horse he held. "I got horses for all of us. I think you forgot that you would need one for this trip when you told me to get horses for us."

Dove was openly glaring at the horse. "I don't like riding."

Guiche blinked, "but the trip, it is a long way and you would need to take a brake every once in a while."

"I'll manage," Dove groused as patted her new potions satchel.

"Where did you get that bag? What's in it?" Louise asked noticing the movement.

"Power to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses, how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death," Dove said quoting one of her greasy alchemy teachers. "I got it from a nice deer I met a few days ago."

"I don't get it," Guiche said.

"I'm sure that there are lots that you won't get Guiche," Dove said snidely.

Guiche glared at Dove until his familiar burrowed its way up in front of them. Instantly he jumped down and started hugging the "Beautiful mole."

Said mole instantly left him and leapt for the girls.

Louise staggered back and Dove jumped to the side with a yelp as the large, squat, low to the ground creature suddenly leapt like a frog on speed, right for them.

Louise's step wasn't far enough and the heavy mole came crashing down on top of her.

Wiggling around like he was trying to swim in the air, the mole kept on trying to move closer to something that was apparently on Louise.

Dove smirked a little as she tried to hold in the laughter she felt at the ridiculous scene.

"Don't worry Louise," Guiche called, "Verdandi is just interested in your ring."

"I DON'T CARE WHAT HE IS INTERESTED IN!" Louise yelled. "JUST GET THE STUPID THING OFF OF ME!"

Dove smirked as she started pushing on the surprisingly soft fur (Guiche was right in his praising of the obnoxious animal's fur) of the mole to remove it from on top of the mage.

WHOOOSH!

Dove had only a moment to go "eeh?" before the mole was lifted by a sudden and completely unnatural burst of air from the other side of the one she was pushing on. The mole gave a cry and flew off with Dove as an unwanted passenger.

"Verandi!" Guiche cried is surprise as Louise sat up shocked at the scene.

Dove lay there, under the heavy creature, out cold for now.

"Who did that?" Guiche cried and whipped out his wand to find the perpetrator.

Louise happened to be looking up. "Over there," she shouted pointing towards the sky. There was something in the air, their foe was mounted on a winged creature.

The enemy descended until it was at ground level and the fog no longer disguised its shape.

The creature was a griffin, a lion bodied, eagle headed creature with wings. It had a bridle and saddle on its back. There was a man with light almost gray hair clothed in dark blue, cloak, hat and all, with a goatee.

The man climbed off of his beast and pulled at his hat with a small bow, "I am Wardes, leader of the griffin squad," he introduced himself, "I have been ordered by lady Henrietta to accompany you on your journey."

Guiche gasped, he was in the presence of a knight. The griffin squad only accepted the best and it was the dream of many noble boys, alongside money and girls, to enter into their ranks.

Louise gasped, she knew him, her mother had said that he was- she blushed thinking of it.

Dove was… still out cold.

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"So," Dove said with a glare at the sheepish man behind her. "This guy's our company?"

After an indeterminate amount of time she had woken up to find them already on the road. They had found a way to travel with her unconscious by having stranger guy place her in the saddle of his mount and he sit behind her, his arms circling her body and holding her on the saddle as he grabbed the reigns.

This allowed them to get on the move but it made her bounce around within his arms, flopping from side to side in a undignified manor.

"Yes," the man confirmed, "I am Wardes, leader of the griffin squad."

"Nice to meet you Doors," Dove said childishly mispronouncing his name.

Wardes sighed, he did deserve it just a bit.

"I am sorry that I hurt you my lady," Wardes apologized again, "I didn't know that you were behind the mole that was on top of my Fiancé."

"I see," Dove said then realized what he had said, "Wait, Fiancé?"

"Yes," Wardes confirmed.

"But you're old," Dove said think out loud.

"I'm only twenty-six," Wardes defended, miffed that the women would think him so old.

"Your hair is gray, you have a beard, and smell like moth balls," Dove said simply, making up the last one to get the man angry.

"I am sorry that my smell offends you my lady," the man said without missing a beat, "I will wash more often if it pleases you."

Dove blushed and at the same time growled, Dang, she would have to try harder to get under his skin.

"You know I can walk, right?" Dove asked as she pressed herself up against the man's right arm, trying to get out.

"I'm sure you can my lady," Wardes said politely as Dove internally growled at the 'my lady' comment. She wasn't anyone's lady. "I had been told that you were declining the horse provided by the young man here and so I thought that you wouldn't mind a ride on my familiar instead."

Dove glared a little, "I don't like riding. My feet have served me well for the majority of my life and won't fail me now."

"I insist that you remain up here," Wardes said smoothly, "It would slow us down if you were to get out and walk with your injury."

Dove jerked her arm backwards and softly (for her) slapped her elbow into his side. "Fine," she growled as Wardes almost slid out of the saddle gasping in pain, "just don't…" she didn't know what to tell him not to do, he hadn't shown any perverted actions and he wasn't rude, crap she had cornered herself in this game of politeness.

His smirk that she could just barely see told her that he too knew he had won this round.

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Without much else to do Dove watched the surrounding landscape for danger, more trees and grass.

It took several hours for anything to change. They had a lunch in the saddle and entered a canyon.

"If this place had snow it would look just like somewhere I visited in my travels," Dove said glancing around.

"I was unaware you were a traveler, miss Dove," Wardes said glancing around.

"Ya, I'm a bard," Dove said simply, "like all of my kind I would get in trouble. One day I got picked up by a government that thought I was part of a rebellion; this place looks like a canyon that we passed though on the way to execution."

Wardes gasped, "you were going to be executed?"

"Yup," Dove shrugged, "but I didn't, so it doesn't matter."

Wardes was uneasy with the casual way she just brushed off her execution.

"There it is," Guiche said pointing off in the distance, "the port town of La Rochelle."

"... Aren't ports supposed to be surrounded by water?" Dove asked as she took in the area.

The canyon that they had been traveling though had opened up to allow a rather nice view of a town set a little up in the mountain range. The buildings were all squat and large, the only thing separating them from the numerous hillocks around them was that they were square in design instead of rounded.

"The country of Albion is a floating island that requires an airship to reach," Guiche said plainly as if he was just stating a common fact.

"How does...?" Dove murmured blankly before drifting off and accepted that sometimes the world didn't make sense with a shake of her head.

"We will need to get rooms for the night in the town," Wardes said, "Our ship will be leaving tomorrow around evening."

'Great,' Dove groused, spending the day in an impossible port town to await a flimsy piece of flying wood to take them to a floating rock that dared-.

Dove blinked and sank down into the saddle, a pondering look on her face.

It took almost two hours for the group to reach the town. The most annoying part of the trip started when the buildings came into sight and Guiche wouldn't shut up about how the town they were in had been created by mages with the same affinity as him.

The town was rather nice looking, the roads seemed to be naturally grown out of the hillside instead of constructed like other buildings, But Guiche just wouldn't shut up.

Every building apparently need its own explanation for how it had been built and why it was built in this way instead of that way.

Three turns away from the inn Dove snapped. "Shut up Draaf klov!" she shouted glaring at the blond boy.

Guiche gulped and looked away quickly even though he didn't understand the last two words.

Louise glared at Dove. "Dove that was uncalled for," she said loudly.

Dove scrunched up her face like she had eaten an unripe lemon. "You're right Louise," she said sadly, "I'm sorry Guiche, I shouldn't have shouted at you."

Guiche muttered that it was okay and quickly forgot about it. Louise looked at Dove's shameful visage and couldn't help but worry about it.

Guiche started back up with his information giving session. Dove didn't pay any attention, actually worrying the knight who was sitting just behind her in the saddle.

Arriving at the inn Wardes payed for a night while Dove and the others unloaded the animals.

"Dove, what was that earlier?" Louise asked as she removed the saddle packs from the side of the unridden horse.

"Nothing Louise," Dove said as she moved the pack she had picked up to a pile that contained their clothing packs.

"Don't give me that Dove, I know that something is bothering you and it has to do with shouting at Guiche earlier. You two don't get along all the time and he did tackle you this morning, but I have never seen you lose it like that," Louise said watching Doves reaction.

Dove looked blank, "I just don't like the idea of getting on a floating island. What if it falls while we are on it? We could die."

Louise blinked, "you're afraid of falling to your death? Dove you're a dragon, you shouldn't be afraid of that, you can fly."

Dove smirked, "I know, but as a dragon it is always under my own power that I fly. Now I'm going to have to rely on some unknown and unpredictable outside source for flight."

"Besides," she added passing Louise with a smile, "I would have to catch you before you hit the ground."

Louise grinned back, "I'm sure you could manage it." Louise left after the packs were put away to find her fiancé, leaving Dove to pick up the last of the packs.

Dove's face fell as Louise left. Her anger had come almost out of nowhere, born of one thought that actually frightened her.

'a flimsy piece of flying wood to take them to a floating rock that dared exist in her sky.'

'When had it become her sky?' Dove wondered, 'When she had arrived in Tristian, the only daughter of Akotosh. The only dragon who could truly rule the sky,' a voice in her head answered her.

The voice sounded like herself in her dragon form, but it also sound disturbingly like Alduin.

* * *

 **Dragons are naturally dominant people.**

 **Their soul is no different.**

 **someone asked what would Doves familiar, if she went though with the ritual, would be.**

 **I'm stumped, any advice you guys can give would be appreciated.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Today, on how its made:**

 **Tinfoil,**

 **the human heart,**

 **the solution for world hunger,**

 **a die hard brony,**

 **and a story chapter that seeks no financial compensation because the writer doesn't own Familiar of Zero or Skyrim.**

* * *

 **Rook115: I have decided!**

 **it was a pair of running socks that were hanging from her ears!**

 **Just some advice, quickly read a summary about FOZ and Skyrim, that should help make my story easyer to understand, you would 'get somewhat lost with what is happening half the time', I think my story is confusing if you don't have a baseline understanding of ether one or the other.**

 **XSDStitch: it was part of the school exchange program. For the record, he didn't like it and spent the entire time griping about the cold. (weakling)**

 **evevee: No, dragons aren't alive within Dove, I was trying to hit at something else and it didn't work quite right.**

 **blood enraged: true but the conjuration familiar spell from Skyrim is very different from the one in FOZ. I think that a constellation would be cool but very hard to pull off.**

 **Guest: Happy late birthday. Are you suggesting a Dove/ Fem Alduin pairing? the pairing has been decided if you are, sorry.**

 **egads: I don't think it has anything to do with power... the reason Louise could summon a human familiar is because she is a void mage. Dove isn't so I don't think she would summon a humanoid individual.**

 **Boyzilla: So do I, can you figure out the book that the reference in this chapter?**

 **bleach96269: I think I'm going to stick to one story crossover, I don't know Saber well enough to effectively write about it.**

 **xanothos: Seith the Scaleless... I don't play Dark Souls.**

 **wasp463: A dragon priest would be cool, they might hate that I stole all their masks.**

 **h550: Irony might happen but it would take some doing if it does happen.**

 **GGFBank: She could end up on ether side, I just don't like Wardes, read on to find out.**

 **guest: Odahviing might have already sworn to Dovahkiin, but I don't think that would be enough to make him her familiar.**

 **islam96: I know, he kept on complaining about the cold and asking when we would send him back to Hogwarts. (Weakling)**

 **pltrgst: Spyndrid is a name I absolutely hate. I could never spell it right for many chapter, she is Tabitha's familiar. It's a nest already made for her. Again? what do you mean again?**

 **quarttzblade12: Maybe... that could be interesting.**

 **redburning dragon: No werewolf Dove, she knows they exist and that the companions are werewolfs but she isn't one herself. Omake... if only I could think of one that relates to my story. I got one sitting in the back of my head about the life of a pile of paper on the Hokage's desk, but not a Skyrim one.**

 **Properdecay: lots of people are suggesting birds or air affinity animals. Why?**

 **Diggin: thanks. I really don't think Dove would summon a person. Wardes might get killed in an interesting way, but someone suggested that she actually fight with reconquesta, that would also be interesting.**

 **Guest: RICHARD! sorry I thought we were shouting cool names ;P**

 **perfectshade: can't tell, its blacked out by the fire. Thanks, that does sound like political correctness in a nut shell. Okay, I hadn't thought of the calming spell like a tranqu for allowing the mind to heal. Hopefully that xp will help Guiche do even better. I just don't like adding myself to a story, unless they act exactly like me which I don't think Dove does. That does sound a little OCD, just know that each chapter only has responses to reviews since the last chapter. I'm not going to AN about a review from a month ago but if the review is about chapter 1, and posted after chapter 14 for example, the I will answer but it won't have nearly as much thought in it. Ya... spirit can sense the runes on Dove.**

 **Sleep is for the weak :}**

 **Wardes was more polite this round and if she wanted to win the next one then she had to stay in the saddle. Wardes didn't leave her behind because of both reasons, ulterior motive and because she is attractive.**

 **I like that you caught that, I think my last AN made people think that the dragons with in Dove were trying to take over her mind, they aren't and Dove is just suddenly getting hit by new dragon impulses.**

 **I know that the ancient dragon sounds identical to Alduin.**

 **PS I think you maxed out the figure counter again, your Review cuts of mid phrase.**

 **Kiden: hilarity aside, I don't think a humanoid thing would be summoned by Dove because she isn't a void mage.**

 **Guest: Mirmulnir? was that the first dragon you kill?**

 **VulpineSnow: Maybe a komodo dragon :}, Alduin represents everything bad a dragon could be to her, no wonder it would be his voice. There might be Pwnage, but it might be interesting to see if Dove joins them.**

 **Myserioustgexpert: AYE!**

 **Akshak:... I don't think a fem Alduin was a option.**

 **Axcel: I know.**

* * *

Dove walked for her room as soon as Wardes had paid for their group and the packs had been put away.

Inside she closed the door and knelt down on the bed, hoping that the way of the voice style of meditation would help her calm her burning instincts.

It did help her feelings control but she still felt the anger coiled in her gut, the rage that humans dared to enter her domain, the sky. IF THEY WERE MEANT TO FLY THEN THEY WOULD HAVE WINGS LIKE HER! MAYBE SHE SHOULD HUMBLE THEM BY SHOWING THEM TRUE MIGHT!

Dove breathed, trying to calm herself. She was Mer, Bosmer, she didn't have wings. 'Yes you do,' a voice gravely whispered back. It felt like when her Companion side and Arch-mage side were in conflict, only now it was with a new third side, her dragon side.

"Dove?" a voice came from outside her room. Dove could tell it was Louise. "The rest of us are going down stairs for dinner, are you going to join us?"

Dove let out a slow breath, she was hungry, on that all three parts of her could agree on. "Yes," Dove said though the door, "I will be out soon."

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Down stairs the eating hall was reasonably packed with people. The groups so drunk to be avoided were easily marked out while the rest of the patrons stayed to themselves.

"Truly it is an amazing familiar you have summoned according to the stories I have heard," Wardes was saying to an embarrassed Louise, "by the way, where has your familiar been hiding? I know that predators can almost seem to vanish into the background but I wasn't able to spot a single scale of dragon hide in our entire journey here."

Louise looked lost for a moment before sighing, "she doesn't like hanging around people. Dovahkiin prefers to be left alone, especially after her beliefs were exposed."

Wardes frowned, "you make it sound like your familiar is intelligent. To have beliefs indicates a high level of sentient."

Louise smiled happily, "she is."

Wardes blinked, "I meant," he clarified, "that you made it seem like she has human level intelligence. I know that there are some rather smart animals out there but I have never heard of an animal that can be as smart as one of our own kind."

Louise still smiled, in fact her grin grew as she noticed Dove standing there, "Dovahkiin is as intelligent, if not more so than any person I have met. I am hoping that she can teach me some of her lands spells alongside my friend, Dove."

"It isn't too hard to be smarter than most people in this land," Dove said from behind them, "also I don't think that Dovahkiin would be able to teach us much of her magic," Dove said walking up to the group. "Dragon magic, or the Thu'um as it is also known, takes an understanding of the dragon's view of the world. You must understand the spell and how it effects the land as a dragon does."

Guiche nodded to Dove and Wardes turned to glance at the Bosmer. "I'm confused," he admitted, "you are teaching Louise magic? Isn't magic the same all over the land?"

Dove barked a laugh. "Magic is mostly the same across this land. I just happen to come from a land that is far away and uses different kinds of magic."

"Fascinating," Wardes said wondering about what this magic could do on the battlefield. "I had heard that you used lightning and ice to beat Count Mott in a fight over your service. I myself have a spell that allows me to shoot lightning but it sounds like yours's was much easier to use, requiring literally no words to cast it or the ice spell."

Dove shrugged, "they are considered basic, novice and apprentice spells where I am from. Almost any fool can throw a bolt of lightning, or a burst of fire, some intermediate can throw ice javelins, masters can use these spells to increase each other's individual effects."

"I see," Wardes said feeling hurt that a spell that made him renown amongst the other knights was considered basic by this woman.

Dove smiled sheepishly. "Sorry if that sounded disrespectful," she apologized.

Wardes sighed, apparently saying that it was okay.

"So," he asked on a related topic, "I heard that the two of you fought a duel as well."

His gesture to Guiche and Dove indicated who he was talking to.

Guiche frowned as he remembered. "Yup," Dove said shrugging.

"I heard that you fought with a blade alone and won easily," Wardes stated.

Guiche grumbled into his sandwich and Dove straightened as she recognized that this was becoming an interrogation.

"To be fair, Guiche hasn't had much or any training in welding a sword," Dove said and Guiche turned a little pink and he started mashing harder into his sandwich at her defending his skills.

"Guiche is the son of a general so he must have some training," Wardes mussed, "I would like to spar with you, my lady, learn how much I can depend on you in a fight should things go south on our mission."

Dove frowned, irritation at the lady part showing, "Why now? We are moving too fast, someone could get hurt in this spar and that would diminish our fighting potential."

Wardes answered her concern, "I think we are mature enough to know when to stop to prevent serious harm from befalling each other. This way we can learn about each other's strengths and abilities outside of the battlefield where we might get hurt."

Dove couldn't argue with that logic. "Fine, tomorrow around noon?"

"That works for me," Wardes said standing, "Come Louise, we should be getting to bed."

"You two are sleeping in the same room?" Dove asked, surprised.

"Yes, we are engaged," Wardes pointed out.

Louise bit her lip in indecision, she was engaged and he was a complete gentleman, but the engagement was her family's idea, and he was older than her. "It wouldn't be right for us to sleep together because we aren't married yet," Louise finally decided.

Wardes moved closer and whispered in her ear, "I have something important to tell you."

"Then you can tell us as a group," Louise said calmly, firm in her decision.

Dove perked up, "What? Do you have something for the group Wardes?"

Wardes ground his teeth silently.

Wardes ended up sleeping in another room with Guiche while Dove and Louise slept together.

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The morning came around and Dove went for a walk to work the kinks out of her body. The town was nice, it surprisingly 'felt' like other port town that Dove had visited before minus the smell of the ocean. There were stalls with basically everything that a person could want, from exotic foods to pieces armor, it could be found here.

Dove decided she liked the town. The armor pieces reminded her that she should buy some kind of ranged weapon and protection from such in return.

Peeling off from the main road Dove perused the racks of supplies brought in by the airships, something caught her eye.

Resting on the nearby rack was a bow and quiver. The set sat alongside almost a hundred others just like it, but this one was unique. The limbs of the bow had spike like protrusions before they recurved back to straighten out. The string sat not in a groove but in what looked like joints and gave the entire piece a bone like quality.

The quiver was a rather plain, a silver top and base with curving inlays and a soft dark leather inside. The only distinguishing feature of this set was a while diamond shape made out of a dragon.

Dove would recognize her favorite tool anywhere in the land; her dragon bone bow. Looking around for the owner of the stall she caught sight of an older man who seemed to be the owner.

"Excuse me sir," the man turned to find a beautiful lightly tanned girl with brown/blond flecked hair. "Yes?" he asked politely.

"I hate to be a bother but I noticed that you have a bow that I think I recognize," she said pointing at one of his wares.

The man frowned at her words. She was gesturing to a bow and quiver that he had bought from a superstitious sailor who didn't want anything to do with the bow after he had gotten a good look at the material that it was made from.

"I see; how do you recognize it?" he asked looking at her questioningly.

"It is my own bow that was a gift from my mentor when I left his home to journey abroad," she responded. "I lost it while traveling and have been searching for it for a while now."

"Ah," the stall owner said kindly, "I don't wish to be rude, but do you have any proof that it is yours? You could be trying to rip me off as far as I know."

The Dove smiled, not taking offence "have you examined the inside of the quiver?"

The man nodded.

"Then only you and the owner, me, would know that there is an engraving on the inside of the metal, right?"

The stall owner nodded, "yes, there is an engraving, do you know what it says?"

Dove nodded, "'Hei fen haalkun hein miin tir mon' does that convince you that this is mine?"

The stall owner sighed and nodded, "I guess so. Here, you can have your bow back."

Dove picked up the familiar weight of the heavy bow and fished in her pocket for some of the loose change Louise had given her. "Here," she said placing it on the table, "for finding it."

The man nodded grateful.

Dove quickly went to other stalls where armor was being sold and perused a simple leather armor vest… some people had strange ideas about what women needed with leather.

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Arriving back at the inn Dove found Wardes waiting for her.

"That looks rather good on you my lady," he said eyeing the leather vest.

Dove's eyebrow twitched, "I didn't buy it for looks despite what you or any other guy here seems to think," her tone was icy.

"You have been… noticed? By the town folk?" Wardes asked politely.

Dove didn't answer and walked past Wardes into the inn.

"I was hoping to get that spar with you in as soon as possible," Wardes said quickly after her retreating back.

"Fine, be out back in half an hour," Dove called over her shoulder as she started up the stairs.

In her room Dove placed her bow lovingly down on her bed, she then picked up her quiver and started systematically checking every single arrow within the quiver for damage. Every single one of the fifty arrows she had prepared before the summoning were still in there and undamaged.

Louise entered and sat down on the end of her bed facing Dove. "Why are you going to fight Wardes?" she asked.

"His reasons are sound, learn about each other's strengths and weaknesses so that we can cover each other in a fight," Dove said as she started checking the bow for any creaks.

"Do you really expect fighting?" Louise asked worried for her groups safety.

"Only if something goes wrong," Dove said.

"Will it? The rebel nobles aren't looking for us, and the prince should greet us courteously once we arrive."

"'Always expect something to go wrong. Believe me, if you are wrong, you're not disappointed. If you're right then you are ready for it.' a wandering old man and his rather young knight companion told me that once, and I found them words to live by," Dove picked up her quiver and walked back out of the room.

Sometime Louise was confused by what kind of life her familiar must have lead before she had summoned her.

{}[]{}{}[]{}[]{}{}[]{}[]{}

Wardes was waiting in the back courtyard, the ground was all hard stone blocks with a stone stairway leading down to the yard itself.

Dove and Louise came down the stairs. Wardes gave a smile and nod, "are you ready to spar, my lady?" he called out.

Dove smiled, "Yup."

Louise, as the impromptu referee signaled the start.

Ready for combat Dove pulls her bow off her shoulder.

Wardes moved in quickly, trying to stop Dove from drawing an arrow.

"FUS!"

Wardes was pushed backwards by the rush of power that left Dove's mouth. Momentarily startled by the attack, Wardes gaped before trying to recover and fall into a ready stance.

Dove grinned and had an arrow on the string before he was ready.

*Fwish-Thud*

Warde's foot refused to move as he tried to dodge the arrow. Glancing down he saw that he had moved too slow and the arrow had pinned his foot to the ground.

Pointing his wand forwards Warde quickly muttered through a spell. A burst of wind darted for Dove who jumped to the side.

Landing lightly Dove kept her smirk and pulled back on the string again. This time the arrow took the knight's hat right off his head and pinned it to the wall, ten feet behind him.

"I think I won the spar," Dove said simple as the man looked forlornly at his hat.

"I guess," Wardes grumbled then looked at Dove. "I wasn't aware that you were an archer," he said eyeing the bow in her hands.

"I lost my bow when I arrived here and have been making due since," Dove answered.

"I'm just your 'making due'?" Derf complained from his place next to the quiver

"No," Dove admonished, "you know I love you Derf, there simply isn't anyone else I would want in my hand apart from you."

Derf grumbled too upset to make a joke about her handling him.

"If it isn't a bother," Wardes said curiously, "would you mind telling me what you plan on doing if the enemy gets close?"

"I'm sure you have heard about my fighting skills, being the knight helping us and all I would expect that you would hear about the skills I have shown before," Dove reasoned.

"True, but I would like to get a sense of your skills myself," Wardes said, "After all, you had the range advantage, I would like to see how you would fair if that was taken away."

"I guess there is a point to that," Dove groused, she really wasn't feeling like fighting. She had wanted to use her bow again after so long without it's comforting weight, but in an actual fight the purposed situation could happen.

Dove walked up to Wardes and pulled her arrow out of the ground, checking for damage, before placing it back into her quiver.

Stepping back to gain space Dove reached for Derf.

Wardes made the first move again, stabbing forwards with his wand sword, a burst of air on the tip making up for the lack of a point.

Dove shifted under the stab and finished drawing Derf with a flourish. Moving in close to decrease Warde's ability to stab, Dove brought Derf up in a swing aimed for Warde's armpit, hoping to move him back.

The move worked, Wardes moved backwards out of Dove's range but was instantly working on a spell.

Dove moved forwards with the her opponent, quickly closing the distance between them Dove dominated the fight, swinging not to hit Wardes but instead to move him around to where she wanted him to be.

Wardes quickly sucked in a breath as he tried to out maneuver his opponent. She simply was too fast for him, it took all of his attention to predict where her blade was going to end up next and move away from there. He was glad that she took the fight so seriously but he was getting a little angry and jealous that she was so much better than him.

He had spent most of his teenage and adult life in the service of the crown as a knight and now he was getting bested by a woman who came out of nowhere. Even if the Princess had given her a noble title she was only just said to be moderately skilled with the blade and a complete novice with mage.

But the first spell she had used to move him around like a rag doll had to be a high level wind spell. That old academy teacher must have been teaching her all day and night for her to have already reached that level of magical control.

Realizing that his attention had wavered Dove lunged forwards imitating Warde's first move. Wardes jumped back desperately to get out of the way of the blade.

*Thump*

Wardes quickly looked over his shoulder and realized that she had basically pinned him against the wall, he couldn't draw his blade back to stab, as it was meant to be used with his back against a wall. She had purposefully moved him there he realized and tried to move away from his predicament.

The moment of distraction his looking over his shoulder caused was enough for Dove to recover and move in for the 'kill'.

As Wardes slid along the wall Dove stabbed forwards intending to stop just before hitting him.

Wardes deflected the thrust and in a move that surprised even him by pushing off the wall and locked his fingers around Doves wrist.

Dove gasped, now they both were too close to use their blades, almost touching chest to chest.

"I think we can call this one a draw," Wardes said after a moment of watching her reaction.

Dove blinked and jerked her hand out of his grasp. "I think I won, I was pushing you around like a domineering wife would her husband," Dove said heatedly.

Louise gasped at Doves words.

Dove realized what she had said and turned red. "I don't mean, I meant that I was pushing you around like I owned you," Dove blustered without looking at Wardes.

"... I guess that's true," Wardes said hesitantly, "alright, you won."

"As always," Dove said putting her embarrassment behind her as she strutted towards the stairs.

Wardes found his eyes firmly attached Dove's retreating form, to a swaying part of Doves anatomy for far too long.

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Dove pushed her way into the room she shared with Louise, thinking over her fight with Wardes she couldn't help but blush again at her ending words. 'I really didn't mean it like that,' she grumbled. Why was she feeling so… lonely?

Sitting down on the bed Dove pulled her legs into a meditative pose and focused on her feelings. It took her almost three hours to puzzle it out but she eventually reached her conclusion.

She wasn't feeling attraction to Wardes, she wasn't feeling romantic, she was lonely. She wanted someone to sit down and share fighting adventure stories with. She missed the companions' hall, there she was able to just sit down and talk about her day, looking for a stupid Dwemer artifact and fighting Falmer, with someone who could who had similar experiences.

On some level she had hoped that Wardes had some fighting stories to share, fighting with some dragon or giant or impossible odds like her. Some kind of kindred spirit connection.

Suddenly feeling claustrophobic and confused, Dove got up, turned and walked out of the room.

Outside she ran into Wardes, she didn't stop and brushed past him. Only for him to grab her arm again.

"Where are you going?" he asked, "Our ship leaves in an hour."

Dove shrugged her hand out of his grip, "I need a bit to myself," Dove said moving off

"Dove," Wardes said in a rather intense voice, "What do you think of the way the country is run?"

Dove stopped trying to leave and glanced at Wardes in confusion. "I think the nobles are rather stuck up fools," Dove said honestly, "They wouldn't last a minute in Skyrim, less in Riften."

Wardes smiled, "Most are rather weak, aren't they?"

"I don't think they're weak," Dove said, "Just to full of their own self-importance to see the bigger picture."

Wardes smile grew much larger, it was a little unsettling, "I think we can agree on that. I hope we can work together more often, _My_ lady."

Unsettled Dove moved off.

Louise came out of a room down the hall just in time to see her leave. "Wardes," she called hurrying forwards, "where is Dove going?"

"She said that she was going back to the academy with Guiche," Wardes said glancing towards Louise with an unreadable expression.

Louise balked, staring at Wardes for a moment then towards the stairs where Dove had vanished. 'That doesn't sound like something Dove would do,' Louise decided.

"I know what you're thinking," Wardes said to fill the silence, "I was surprised when she told me but she said that she couldn't work with us with how she felt towards me and our relationship."

Louise's jaw dropped, that has got to be one of the stupidest reasons for abandoning someone that she could think of. 'Why is Wardes lying to me?' she wondered.

"Anyway," Wardes said looking to a clock, "we have to hurry, our ship leaves in half an hour."

"I see," 'Dove must have a good reason for leaving and Wardes could be covering for her', Louise though. "I guess we should pack then," Louise said confusion evident but her need to help her friend and princess overwhelmed her caution about the situation.

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Dove kept walking, she had been doing just that for the last ten minutes. No one was around her, she was now as alone as she felt.

Stopping in a secluded area along the road, overlooking a railed off cliff side and the mountains beyond, she brought her thoughts back to the troubling topic she had been pondering before.

She groaned and thumped her head on the railing. She missed everyone from her home, Mer, Imperial, Nord, she missed her people. She missed the connections she made with them, how they understood her on a fundamental level. The kingdom of Tristian was rather nice, but her way of life was much more wild and free than anything she had here.

She felt a little like Durnehviir to be honest, trapped somewhere she shouldn't be, and a little afraid that she would be changed into being unable to leave it.

Speaking of Durnehviir, she even missed him despite the fact that he was a greedy dragon.

'Could I summon him here?' Dove thought, anyone she knew from Tamriel would be welcome, 'or Odahviing? I think Dragons were said to have the ability to travel to other realms in Nirn.'

'Might as well try,' Dove thought with a shrug.

Dove looked down, trying to elongate her neck. "DUR-NEH-VIIR!"

A burst of what sounded suspiciously like thunder rang out with her voice, a swirl of purple mist appeared at the spot Dove was watching, the air pushed the mist around like a frothing sea until it suddenly pushed upwards in a small hurricane.

Suddenly bursting though the mist was the rotting head of the greatest predator in all of Tamriel, a dragon.

"Drem Yol Lok, Qahnaarin, were are we? This doesn't feel like the air of Vus," Durnehviir said nodding quickly to Dove then lifting his head to sniff the air.

"Drem Yol Lok Durnehviir," Dove said politely, "Sheogorath might have done something to send me somewhere other than our homeland."

"Ah," Durnehviir said, "I should have guessed the mad one had a hand in your strange predicament. Why have you summoned me? There doesn't appear to be anything nearby of interest for one like me."

Dove rubbed her head, "I was curious if the ability to call you worked here, I had no idea if it was possible for one like you to follow me here."

Durnehviir snorted, "Any Dovah could follow you across the realms, Qahnaarin, the only problem is that only those who know you, or those you call will be able to discern where you have ended up."

"So if I were to call to Odahviing he would be able to find and come to me, but some random dragon won't be able to?" Dove asked thoughtfully.

"Yes," Durnehviir said nodding.

"I see, would you like to fly around this new world for a little before you have to go back?" Dove asked politely.

Durnehviir looked at her oddly, he might not have known the dragon born for years but he knew when someone was hinting at something. "I would enjoy a flight, just don't think that I would be willing to carry you," he growled.

Dove smiled, "let me call Odahviing."

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In the near distance was a rather strange, green hooded woman. She was walking towards the last known location of her target, the maid Dove. This person was none other than the almost legendary thief Fouquet the sculptor.

She was only 'almost legendary' because of the intervention of one woman, the girl she was currently hunting.

After she was caught by the person who was now her target she had been approached in prison by a man in a mask who offered her both revenge and help providing for her sister.

Such an offer was beyond what she thought she had any hope for receiving so she had jumped at the chance.

Now her goal was just over the rise in front of her. Going down onto her hands and knees, she started creeping up to the edge of the ridge. Fouquet froze as a loud noise burst from the other side of the hill

"OD-AH-VIING!"

Fouquet frowned, that sounded a lot like a spell her target would use, a strange three-word phrase and then some simply fantastic event would happen.

Finally reaching the top, she peered over the edge of the hill she wasn't surprised to see the maid Dove. However, she was gob smacked to see an undead dragon standing next to her. A roar split the air, signaling another dragons arrival on the scene.

This dragon was just like that infuriating familiar, Dovahkiin, the only real difference between them was that this one was a deep ruby red.

And about five feet taller.

Fouquet was trembling now, there was absolutely no way that she was going to be attacking Dove right now. She had problems incapacitating Dovahkiin before and if those two are working with Dove then she would probably be eaten before she could get a chance to reach her target.

Deciding to live another day Fouquet left.

* * *

 **I have have researched about dragons and the ability to travel from world to worlds. I found nothing against it and it was said that Akotosh could do it, that and Alduin and Durnehviir both lived and or visited other realms.**

 **So that's why I think dragons can do that.**

 **Dove is primarily an archer, that is one reason why it was hard for me to write fighting scenes. I felt a little intervention with her weapon of choice was in order.**

 **PS the Familiar of Dove hasn't been decided but I am drawn to simpler creatures from Skyrim.**

 **like saber-tooth kittens.**

 **IT'S NOT BECAUSE I LOVE KITTENS!**

 **I just can't get the image of Dove hugging a long toothed kitten to her chest with a look of extreme joy on her face out of my mind.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Masive head-ache.**

 **Finals time.**

 **Whelp!**

 **Heres to doing well.**

 **Or atleast better then my atempts to gain ownership over Skyrim and Familiar of Zero.**

 **...**

 **...**

 **They had ninjas protecting the dang things.**

 **so that is why I don't own eather of them.**

* * *

 **Axcel: Thanks.**

 **Touhou is Life:... Should I be worried about you?**

 **Mysterioutgexpert: I know, its spelled differently acording to different scorces and I absoultly such at spelling, I have Autism Spectrum Disorder, (Aspergers Syndrom to be presise.) One thing that is hard for me is names, some I have just givven up on trying to spell.**

 **alexkehling: *leans back*...mind reader? I have Dove changing into a dragon, a werewolf on top of it all would be a bother. Durnehviir is dead, that's why.**

 **Boyzilla: It's from a great book series, if you look it up I'm sure you would find it. Agreed, more dragons for all!**

 **Rook115: Thanks. Hope you get though FOZ soon.**

 **Guest: Oviously she wouldn't attack when dragons, one undead, when she barily exaped one smaller one. Nay.**

 **GGFBank: Yup. I personaly found Barbas anoying, I think he gliched when I played, he started walking back the way we came, twice.**

 **redburningdragon: He's only f'ed if she catches him in time. I think Parthunax is still alive, I havn't decided. She is using steel arrows.**

 **XSDSitch: True, but would she? In skyrim is it not your own streinth that matters not the strength of your buddys? The Phrase was said by the old man the knight was traveling with.**

 **quarttzblade12: maybe, I haven't decided, I just have images in my head and I'm trying to figure out which one looks the best. (Is the funnyest.)**

 **Student: Gaijin pose... I don't think I know what that is. Wardes might get what/who he wants instead. All kittens; tiger, saber, house, farel, or farmhouse, are adorable.**

 **Kiden: true that. Thanks, Dove is and archer but she is skilled in using many other things as weapons. YES KITTEN LOVERS UNITE!**

 **Me Myself and I: I think familiars reflect the persons element instead of species. Now I must burn my eyes, thank you for the imagery of Lusty Argonian maids in catsuits. Argonian maids are fine but when you put them in cat suits THAT CROSSES THE LINE! :P. Summoning other void mages as a familiar... hadn't thought of that. I'm not sure, I don't really pay attention to blessings.**

 **lordhehl123: I write and don't translate Dovahzul because I have Dove cuss in it.**

 **Akshka: thanks.**

 **perfectshade: I hadn't considered Derf like a familiar, interesting. What is with reviewers suggesting Khajit familiars? mostly it's a good idea for fighting strength but it is still enslavement in my opinion. True, a large familiar is a handful, but so awesome. What about a pokemon? small, easy to carry and care for but powerful :)**

 **Her gear isn't scattered all around, I have a minor plot for those. I find the whole idea of going on a trip though a large quest (or dungion) to gain a item alittle to Legend of Zelda for me. I love Legind of Zelda, it hold a special place in my heart, but I do think that the 'I just happen to get the ONE tool that helps me in the ONE place that needs it' to be a little reduculas.**

 **Thanks I wrote a fighting with only bow scene and felt the need to write a sword one to balance it. Dragon bone is strong and can be bashed ^vvv^. The distance provided by a bow will allow her to move farthur than Siato could but will she? every foot she moves away increases the chance of Louise getting hurt in a fight.**

 **Summoned them because she was lonely, and to see if it would work. About conflict, I remember hearing that Albion is a air based miatary and they are the best in the air... So why the hell do they only send one ship to begin the invation of Tristain? did the rest of the amoda that they must have get lost? There should be plenty for the two to do.**

* * *

Odahviing landed heavily on the cobbled road that his Thurii stood on. He had been honestly concerned because she hadn't tried to contact him in months. Usually she would get into some kind of trouble at least once or twice every week, and he would often see her just below his perch on the throat of the world visiting the old Joore.

This sudden disappearance had left him concerned. He had been confused as to why it had him so worried and now he was just as confused as to why seeing her made him feel hap- better.

 **"** **Grind! Dovahkiin, it has been a while since we last met,"** he said simply, ignoring his confusing feelings.

Dove blinked at the informal greeting she received from her friend. "Grind, Odahviing, how are things in Skyrim?"

Odahviing shrugged, **"From what I have seen from the top of the throat of the world, there aren't any major developments, no new cataclysm forming."**

Dove grinned, "great, I would hate for there to be one of those without me around to stop it."

Odahviing laughed, an honest chuckle at the life she leads, **"Indeed."**

"So," Dove said clapping her hands together, "I called you here because this is another realm that I have managed to get myself stuck on, and I was wondering if you wanted to go flying with me and Durnehviir to see what lies around us."

Odahviing lifted his snout and sniffed the air, he had been so caught up in the surprising joy of finding his Thurii alive that he hadn't even realized when he had traversed the boundary of the worlds. **"I see,"** he said looking around eager to fly more, **"this world smells rather interesting, magic has influenced it in ways I have never seen before. I would love to give you the honor of flying though this sky with the two of us."**

Dove smiled and Odahviing lowered his head ready for Dove to climb on board.

"I have no need of that," Dove said smirking.

Odahviing tilted his head, **"What do you mean? How are we supposed to fly without you on my head?"**

"Like this," Dove said as she reached behind her back to loosen her dress.

As the garment started to fall from her shoulders Dove raised her head to look at the surprised Odahviing, "Mul Qah Diiv!"

Odahviing's jaw dropped as Dove enlarged. There was no other word he could think of for what he was seeing; Dove was growing in size, and starting to change colors.

Durnehviir was watching with interest as Dove's soft mortal skin started to change into hard dragon hide.

Dove stretched her wings, glorifying in the feel of sinew and muscles relaxing and tightening to allow her the freedom to rule the sky if she so chose to.

She quickly shut off that line of thought.

Instead she focused on the flabbergasted look of Odahviing as he took in her (in his opinion) much improved shape.

 **"** **I must say,"** Durnehviir said breaking the silence, **"I have never seen something like this transformation, how did this come to pass?"**

Dove shrugged, an act that looked rather odd on a dragon's body, **"I have no idea, on the way to this realm I tried to shout and it started to hurt instead of comfort me as it was supposed to. When I landed my shape was transformed into what you see now."**

Odahviing picked his jaw off the ground with a shake of his head, **"Is there a time limit?"** he asked hopeful that this transformation would last. Mostly because then his Thurii would be protected from damage like one of his brothers.

Not because he felt warmer than before when he saw her in this form.

Dove shook her head and moved towards the cliff edge, **"there is no time limit that I am aware of. I have stayed in this form for hours on end, only changing back when I had to go to work later."**

Odahviing's eyes stayed on her figure causing Durnehviir to chuckle.

 **"** **Anyway, we should start flying,"** Dove said glancing back over her shoulder, **"I have to get back to my Joore party in about forty minutes."**

Odahviing growled in assent and opened his wings.

In the air Odahviing felt soothed by the cool air flowing over his wings and sliding down his back, the cold, playful feeling was a comfort to his hot body. He really should ask one of the others if he looked alright, the only thing he could compare this feeling to was when mortals get sick.

All three dragons flew in a rough triangle formation with Dove in front breaking the air and allowing the others an easier flight. Glancing around the air the other dragons were surprised to see a strange town built almost into the mountain side, the strange part was that it had ports like any other port town and ships that seemed to be floating in the air. Internally it annoyed them that the mortals were encroaching on their territory but they let it slide since Dove was the most experienced Dovah there.

Dove glanced back and noticed their looks of interest and annoyance, **"yes they can fly, aren't the people in this land rather clever?"**

Both dragons grumbled about how they shouldn't be up there in the first place but didn't act on the desire to teach the morta-… interfere in their lives.

After another ten minutes they watched a ship fly into the air and off towards who knows where.

Odahviing and Durnehviir growled as they watched it leave. **"Is it so bad that they can fly?"** Dove asked her companions. **"YES,"** both of them answered.

*Screech*

Dove looked up in surprise as she recognized the sound of Sylphid calling out a greeting. **"Would you like to meet some rather interesting Joore from this land?"** She asked.

Durnehviir shook his head, **"I have no interest in this lands Joore and my time is almost up. Call for me again soon Qahnaarin."** With that the undead dragon burst into purple smoke that was quickly left behind in the air by the group.

Odahviing nodded to Dove's questioning look, **"I am intrigued by these mages, I would be interested in a meeting."**

Grinning Dove tilted her wings and dipped in altitude until she was cruising just above Sylphid.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Kirche was humming to herself as she road on top of her best friend's familiar. She had been getting ready for the day when she had seen a drop dead gorgeous man at the academy gates.

She had instantly zeroed in on him, his cloths indicated wealth, his stance indicated skill, and his familiar, a griffin, indicated power. Altogether he was the perfect man a woman could hope for.

And in his arms was a dazed looking Dove, that could be an issue if she wanted him for herself but first she would have to learn the basics about him. What is his name, how does Dove know him, and the like.

Quickly running off to Tabitha's room she convinced (read dragged while babbling to an uninterested person) Tabitha to use her familiar. Eventually Tabitha gave into the inevitable magic of true love, in Kirche's opinion, to a complete stranger she had spotted from her window ledge (in Tabitha's opinion).

After an entire day of investigating where the group had gone they had braked for the night and followed their trail the next morning the rest of the way to their destination.

Luck was with them because they would soon reach the group and learn the answers to all of Kirche's questions.

Then a shadow covered the pair of girls and dragon.

"What the heck?" Kirche asked is surprise as she looked up to see a massive expanse of blue and green above them.

"Dovahkiin," Tabitha said calmly without looking up.

"How long had she been there?" Kirche asked perturbed by the casual way her friend indicated that she knew there was a dragon over them before she did.

"A little while."

Kirche pouted, why didn't she notice?

Her internal grumbling was silenced by a flash of red in the sky next to Dovahkiin. Kirche jerked to look and gapped, another dragon EVEN LARGER THAN DOVAHKIIN was flying next to her friend.

"Tabby?" Tabitha looked over to see Kirche pointing to the side. Glancing over she saw another dragon-type like Dovahkiin except larger, maybe five feet longer and portioned to match, his chest was larger and flatter than Dovahkiin but apart from that there wasn't much she could see anatomically different than the blue/green dragon besides it.

 **"** **Land, I would like to introduce you to my friend,"** Dovahkiin shouted to those riding on a dragon.

Sylphid didn't wait for her big sister to give the command, she knew that this dragon would be able to take her in combat easily and hoped he/she was as nice as Dovahkiin was.

On the ground, conveniently where Dove had taken off from, the group landed and the humans disembarked. Kirche kept her eyes on the large red dragon, he noticed her warry gaze and grinned devilishly at her anxiety.

Dovahkiin rolled her eyes at the sight of the two's standoff. **"Okay, first things first, this is Odahviing, he is a dragon from my homeland that agreed to serve me after I humbled him. These are Kirche, the red head. Tabitha the cerulean, and her familiar Sylphid."**

Odahviing looked at each in turn as Dovahkiin introduced each person. **"It is a pleasure to meet you Joore,"** Odahviing said trying to be polite as possible.

Kirche lowered her head in respect. Tabitha just met the dragon's eye.

Odahviing watched them for a few seconds, glaring balefully at the group before smiling, **"they are rather brave for Joore, I can see why you call them friend Thurii."**

Tabitha tilted her head and looked to Dovahkiin, "Thurii?"

 **"** **My lord,"** Dovahkiin answered, **"It is dragon tongue for my lord, he called me that because I bested him and then defeated his old lord, twice."**

"I don't think I've heard that tale," Kirche said looking towards Odahviing hopefully.

 **"** **I'm sure that it would be a great story for later,"** Dovahkiin said worried what the story of her first meeting with Odahviing would sound like to the flirtatious Zerbst.

 **"** **She laid me out flat and pinned me to the ground like an animal and asked me personal questions, I still can't think of the collar without flashbacks,"** Odahviing said with a smirk, that shock had been when his respect for her had started to grow.

Kirche raised an eyebrow and looked at the other dragon, who looked like she was blushing… though scales.

 **'** **Three, two, one,'** Dovahkiin thought as she waited for the response she knew Kirche was going to give.

"Kinky~."

Dovahkiin thumped her face into the ground, the closest thing she could get to a face palm in her current state.

 **"** **I don't have time for this,"** She grumbled into the ground.

...

...

...

Wait

Dovahkiin jerked her head up to glance at the sky, the sun was getting low and the sky was becoming red. She really didn't have time for this.

 **"** **DRAAF!"** She shouted and moved towards her cloths.

Tabitha blinked, surprised by the sudden action from the dragon. **"Mul-Qah-Diiv!"** Dovahkiin shrank and softened into her human shape and snatched up her cloths. "I'm late," she said to the others confused looks.

"You have to go somewhere?" Kirche asked as she walked over and picked up Dove's headband.

"We have a ship that we are supposed to get on in less than ten minutes according to Wardes," Dove said as she snatched the leather piece out of Kirche's hands and tied it into her hair.

"Wardes? Is that the good looking man who was holding you earlier?" Kirche asked thinking of the silver haired man.

Dove blushed as she realized what Kirche must have been talking about, "aye, he accidently nocked Guiche's familiar into me and crushed me a little."

"Oh, he sounds like a gentleman," Kirche licked her lips in anticipation, before Dove ruined her fun.

"He is Louise's fiancé," she said in passing.

"Aww, why does she get the nicest of things," Kirche pouted as she followed Dove towards the town.

Dove darted though the town, she remembered where she had put everything in her room. She should just be able to grab her bag and get to the port in time to catch their ship.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

"They. Did. What?" Dove asked the trembling man in front of her.

"They left, said that the two that had come with them were going back instead of going on with them," the man said trying to appease the cute but furious woman in front of him.

Dove pulled back from the counter to the relief of the man behind it. 'Something doesn't sound right,' she thought as she started pacing the room.

As she did this Guiche arrived back triumphantly. "Sir Wardes!" he called proudly, "I did it, I mastered the move you showed me!" He strode into the room holding a plain sword that he obviously made with his magic.

He froze as Dove fixed him with a glare, 'were her eyes always this scary?' he wondered in appropriate terrified fascination.

"What did Wardes have you do?" Dove asked stopping in her tracks. Behind the unfortunate boy Kirche and Tabitha watched with obvious worry on the tall one's face and calm, though a little forced, on the shorter.

"W-well," Guiche started, "Sir Wardes was giving me some instruction on sword play and he showed me a move that he was sure I could master in under an hour, and I just did it!" Guiche smiled and puffed out his chest as he finished obviously proud of what he had done.

Dove closed her eyes, thinking. Taking her silence as a reason to continue Guiche did just that, "It was a rather hard technique, what you do is parry a sword thrust and…"

Dove ignored the boy's pride to his disappointment and focused on what she knew; 'we leave in an hour, Wardes had said.' 'He showed me a move that he was sure I could master in under an hour.'

Dove looked back at the man behind the harbor table. "Hey, you," she called out gruffly causing the man to jump.

Guiche stopped with his mouth open, just now realizing that Dove hadn't been paying anything he said any attention.

"Yes?" he asked slowly, hoping that she wouldn't bite.

"How long ago did those two leave?"

Tabitha narrowed her eyes as she picked up on what Dove was thinking.

"About thirty-five minuets ago," the man answered honestly.

"GRRRRAA!"

Everyone jerked to look at Dove. She was PISSED. Suddenly she looked straight up in the air and shouted **"TOL VAX!"**

Tabitha was shocked, she had never heard Dove sound like her dragon in form in human shape, the sound of her voice actually caused a minor rumbling that was felt by all those who were on the same street as her.

Dove lowed her head and looked at her group.

Her eyes were reptilian and bright gold. She trembled with rage as she started walking towards the group. Guiche got out of her way fast. Kirche took a step back, and another when Dove stopped just in front of them.

Tabitha didn't move, she had faced angry dragons before and she could tell that this one wasn't looking to hurt her.

"I'm going after him," Dove said, "I'm going after the traitor who has separated us from Louise and I'm going to kill him, which of you are coming with me?"

Guiche blinked, "Traitor? Who could have betrayed us? We just missed the ship that's all."

Dove smiled coldly at him, making him feel like an idiot and scared absolutely crap-less all at the same time.

"Wardes~," Dove said drawing out the name, "told me that we were leaving in an hour, he told you to practice for an hour, that man," She pointed to the booth where the unfortunate was cowering without any shame, "just told us that they left over thirty minutes ago. Wardes lied to us about the time to get rid of us. He has betrayed us and deliberately separated us from Louise for some reason." Dove had a few suspicions on what that reason was but didn't bring them up.

Guiche gaped as he proceeds what Dove said. 'Could she be right?' he wondered and then thought back on his experiences with Wardes, all two days' worth.

He shook his head, 'it can't be right, Sir Wardes is the leader of the griffin knights. He can't be a traitor!'

As Guiche agonized over the idea of a noble being a traitor Dove was watching the others for any responses.

Kirche was both scared and intrigued by the burning rage she saw in Dove's eyes, it both terrified and made her feel excited at the same time. She nodded, feeling a need to follow this woman's fire.

Tabitha could feel the wrath Dove was showing, as well as the hurt she must be feeling resonate with her own. She could remember how she felt as her mother was taken from her. Decision made she nodded along with Kirche.

"As nice as that speech was, how are we going to find them?" Guiche said as he shelved his thoughts on Wardes treason. "They left on airship, the next one is in the morning but where do you go from there? Do you know where they went from the ship?"

Dove frowned, 'he has a point. Only Louise had been told where to go to find the prince, could that be why he took Louise? Instead of because of her element? Stendarr, please help us kick the traitor's ass!'

Apparently Stendarr trumped Juilanos because in that instance The answer to her cry burst out of the ground.

Guiche was treated to the same embarrassing event that Dove had to go though as his familiar burst from the ground and landed on top of his summoned.

Dove sweat dropped as she beheld the scene, what were they going to do about the hole in the middle of the street? They could get in trouble for that.

Oh, and they should probably pull Guiche out from under the giant mole.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Louise and Wardes arrived on Albion around early morning. The night had passed rather peacefully, Wardes had talked about their future after they got married and Louise worried about Dove, she had no reason to leave the group but Sir Wardes had said that she left for fear that her love for him would distract her in battle.

It was a total lie and she knew it. The question that Dove would ask now would either be, 'why did Wardes lie?' or 'Why did Dove leave?'

Deciding on answering the second question first Louise tried to remember everything that had recently happened with Dove. She had taken to separating herself from groups and staying in her room when she wasn't cooking or cleaning. She had spent every moment she could in her room, the question was what was she doing in that room all alone?

She couldn't be doing anything loud or that required a lot of room, and she prayed it wasn't anything rated M, maybe she was meditating, Louise remembered hearing about meditation helping people work though problems and relaxing the soul.

Sitting in her room on the ship she couldn't think of what Dove would be meditating about, but if it was something important enough to cause her familiar to spend so much time alone then that could explain why she left after talking to Wardes.

Realization hit her then, if the issue was something that Dove was really struggling with then Wardes would respect her enough to lie to her about the real reason for Dove leaving, he was very kind like that.

'He needed to think of better excuses then Dove loving him but it was so kind for Wardes to help her familiar and friend like that,' Louise decided, sure that she was right.

Louise felt sad that Dove hadn't brought this problem to her but it was most likely a deep issue that she felt Louise couldn't help with.

It still hurt that she didn't trust her enough to turn to her for help.

Wardes paced, his mind going over the three goals he was supposed to do; secure the letter, find and take care of Wales, and secure Louise. Each goal was necessary for the mission to succeed but now he found a fourth objective that he had passed on to his associate, convince Dove to be his. Marrying Louise would ensure the third objective but really, she wasn't his type to put it mildly.

Dove was strong, had incredible figure and would make his plans much smoother.

When he could, he needed to talk with his superior about her.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

After they arrived on Albion they left the port and made their way towards a range of nearby mountains. There Henrietta had told Louise would be a church where Prince Wales would be at.

The church was a rather nice looking white building with a grand entrance leading into the chapel and an inner courtyard.

Wardes, the eternal gentleman leads the way to and opened the door for Louise. Inside the room was two stories, the pews on the ground level looked to the alter at the center of the opposite end and had archways to the sides creating a walk way around them and supporting a second story for people to congregate above the main area.

The entire area was darkened; the only light was what naturally came in through the windows.

"So this is it huh," Wardes said looking around the room, noticing that if it was a trap then it was a rather good place for one, the pews would limit anyone from moving in the middle while giving cover from anyone just entering the room. The upper level could also be used to house archers or gunmen.

"Nobody's here," Louise noted as they moved into the room.

Wardes suddenly caught a glint of metal. "No…" he contradicted Louise and glared at the glint, he could now make out the form a man in armor. Louise quickly caught on to the sight and moved close to Wardes for protection.

The man in armor moved out of the shadows, his form was rather hard to make out since he was covered in a black cloak with only his paladins, helmet with its visor down, and neck guard visible to the world. In his hands was a sword-wand, indicating that he must be a mage.

He also wasn't alone, from out of the other shadows came at least twenty others, all garbed and armed in similar fashion.

One detached himself from the group of surrounding knights and came within ten feet of the two Tristaines, waiting their reason for intruding in their 'lair'.

Wardes spoke first, "This is Miss La Valliere on a special mission from Tristian," he said, "we would like to be shown to Prince Wales."

The knight was unmoved and instead raised his sword to within an inch of Warde's chin, a threatening motion but ineffective on the trained griffin rider.

"An emissary from Tristian? Why don't you think of a better lie? No one from that country would know of this location," the knight said.

Louise moved out from behind her fiancé, drawing the other man's attention, "I heard it from Princess Henrietta!" She said boldly.

"Henrietta?" the man questioned in a soft tone.

Louise boldly faced them all, "I have no need for any of you," the men tightened their grip on their swords, Louise in turn threw out her arms, coincidently showing off the ring on her finger. "Where is Prince Wales?" She demanded.

"That ring," the man in front of them gasped and put away his sword without moving his eyes from Louise's hand.

Pulling off his glove he showed an almost identical ring as the one on Louise's finger.

Pushing his fist, ring first towards Louise. "Now, put forth the ring," he commanded.

Louise looked at her hand in confusion, 'this could be a test,' she thought and then complied.

When there was about a foot between the two hands a light started glowing between them both, a burst of color starting with white before becoming red and slowly shifting into pink.

"This ring is the Ruby of Wind, that has been handed down the royal family of Albion," the helmeted man said, His tone sure and a little awed, "And that is the Ruby of Water. Water and wind together create a rainbow, a rainbow across the royal families."

Apparently satisfied with something the ring showed him the man pulled back his hand and reached for his helmet.

Lifting it he revealed a blue high color jacket with a black shirt underneath. His skin was fair and his hair was blond but the most noticeable feature was his eyes that looked very gentle when he half smiled.

"I apologize, emissary." the young man said, "I am the prince of Albion, Wale Tudor."

Louise stood in minor shock, Wardes on the other hand was hiding a grin, 'first target found.'

* * *

 **Now go watch X-Men: Apocalypse.**

 **I. Really. Enjoyed. It.**

 **So, ya, ending it there.**

 **Don't worry I will get to the wedding next chapter,**

 **these things do take a while to plan. :}**

 **Juilanos: Divine of logic and wisdom.**


	19. Chapter 19

**!SUMMER!**

 **Time to kill the chickens.**

 **take a guess what I've been doing today.**

 **(I need a shower)**

 **This story belongs to me, the stories its based off of don't. IE Skyrim and Familiar of Zero**

* * *

 **Mysterioustgexpert: I don't know, in my opinion, everyone has something wrong with them, a few just happen to get a name for it.**

 **Akshka: How does cosmetic burning sound instead of blood for now?**

 **Boyzilla: Thanks, She is literally the only available girl in the whole of creation, I'm sure there will be interest in the female dovah. here is to hoping that she doesn't either.**

 **Dovgrahdeen: Anger assured. Blood will be spill.**

 **Zero Entertainment: Odahviing doesn't know where Albion is, he vanished like he does after the call dragon shout, I thought it would be important that Dove knew her home was safe and it gave them something to talk about.**

 **Student: Thank you... *Darth Vader voice* Now the student becomes the teacher.**

 **Or something along those lines.**

 **Perfectshade: A REVIEW THAT ISN'T AN ENTIRE PAGE? ARE YOU SICK? ARE YOU FEELING ALRIGHT?**

 **I think dragons would miss their fellows and their Thuii. I felt that Dove's influence would make Louise question people more but he is a knight, a viscount, and her fiance, so she would trust him. I had her over think it to get into this situation. I just kinda had Odahviing go where ever he is after the call dragon shout. I don't think he would allow Dove to fly on him since she can do it herself and it being beneath him to carry humans, you only get to in Skyrim by mentally hijacking them. That's how I saw Kirche-Tabitha relations from the anime.**

 **The Writer Of Fate: I might have a name for her, I just didn't have her give it out she was in a strange area, remember; Dove was a name given to her by Martone. I haven't decided to give Dove some other name, but I think its a little late to try and change her name now.**

 **Akshka: Thanks for defending my choice.**

 **Properdecay: I get why people, you included, would suggest something that flys. I think one of the summons from Skyrim wouldn't have a big enough impact, if just any Skyrim mage can summon it then why would it mean anything to Dove? Although, the idea of summoning a 'spirit' from Skyrim would be rather impressive.**

 **Mordred Render:... You think I'm 'an incredibly well story'? THANK YOU! I hope to continue to supries and enthrall you.**

 **ForgottenGrimiore: Thanks, True, Skyrim dragons aren't European dragons but personally I love the wyvern type dragons more.**

 **They just "look" like dragons to me, European dragons look like a lizard-horse with wings in my opinion.**

 **That and Skyrim calls them dragons so they are.**

 **My little rant back :}**

* * *

Louise felt a little flushed from the events of the last few hours. Their group had been cut in half, something that Louise still didn't fully understand, next they had to stay in the port town for an entire hour while Wardes 'dealt with a problem', now she was talking to a dark and mysterious knight who just so happened to be a prince in hiding.

It felt like she was stuck in a badly written fantasy novel. Like she was floating a little off the ground, instead of on it.

Instead of being overwhelmed by all that had happened to her, she instead focused on here and now. Giving the letter she had to the prince.

"A missive from the Royal Highness Henrietta," she said as calmly as she could while handing over said letter. They had retired to a room the others had affectionately named the 'kings office.'

Prince Wales took the letter from her hand and studied it. The look of happiness that he had worn ever since the light show quickly faded as he read the words his relative had written for him. He gave a small sigh and stood, "Understood," he said before moving over to his wardrobe.

His movements were quick and jerkily effective, not smooth or light like his previous actions had been.

Pulling out a rather unassuming envelope from the drawer he proffered it to the pink mage with a decidedly unhappy look on his face. "Take this," he ordered.

Louise did, she didn't like to see such pain on a monarch's face. He looked like something had taken his lungs and pulled them out of his chest.

"Uh, Prince?" Louise said, trying to think of anything she could say that would make him happier.

"What is it?"

"Lady Henrietta," Louise started only to pause as the hurt in his face twisted like a dagger in the wound. "Did Lady Henrietta suggest that you go into exile?" Louise forged ahead with her question.

"Miss Valliere," the prince picked up the letter and put it in his inner jacket pocket, conveniently next to his heart, and turned away "It's stepping out of bounds for an emissary to try to know what was written in a missive."

Louise winced as she knew she had hit something painful.

"This is not merely a war between the royal family and the nobility," Wales said as he tried to explain to the youngest of the Valliere family. "This is a fight between us and the Reconquista," he said with a dark tone.

Louise frowned, "The Reconquista?" she rolled the name around on her tongue. She had thought this war was an attempt by the nobles to gain more power, just like Dove had grumbled about. Looking to the prince she quietly asked for more information.

"Right. The group that pulls the strings behind the scenes of this civil war," Prince Wales said with complete seriousness. "The nobles are merely their puppets, to be used until they are empty husks of the good people they used to be. It took me a while, but finally I have discovered their existence."

Louise thought about it, a group that deliberately caused a civil war would have to have a reason for it. Everyone needed a reason for acting the way they do, what was this Reconquista's?

A hand touched her cheek, pulling her out of her thoughts. Wales was leaning over the table, "As the prince of Albion, I must protect this country. Even if it costs me my life to do so."

He looked so committed, a fair shot different from his pained expressions just seconds ago.

"Please tell Henrietta that."

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Louise closed the door behind her with a feeling of finality, like she was closing the opening of a casket on a loved one.

"That is the letter in question?" A voice behind her caused Louise to jump and gasp in surprise.

Turning around she found it to be Wards who had surprised her instead of some dark evil figure like her imagination had created.

"Then the mission has been completed," Wardes continued as he walked up stand in front of her.

"Yes," Louise said without any happiness, the image of Wales sad face wasn't going to leave her for a long time.

Wardes put his hands in a reassuring manner on Louise's shoulders. "Louise, I'm going to ask Prince Wales to oversee our wedding," Wardes announced looking dead into her eyes.

Louise took a moment to process this, "The prince? That means we're holding the wedding ceremony right here? NOW!"

"I'm sure the prince will be happy to oblige," Wardes reassured her absent mindedly.

"It's not that," Louise said pulling herself from her fiancé, "It's so sudden, and feels wrong with the situation being as it is." Shock at the suddenness of this action Louise felt her hand reach for a nearby pillar for support.

"We have to have my parents and my sisters and-" her out loud thinking was interrupted by a pair of long arms encircling her.

"No," Wardes said from behind her. For a moment Louise took comfort in his arms, before they started tightening around her.

"We need you," Wardes said his voice gaining a husky tone.

"Hold on… You're hurting me," Louise gasped as his arms tightened more and more.

"We, the Reconquista, need you. I would be much happier with that blushing Dove, but we need you," Wardes said deeply, "at least you have spirit, it is so much fun watching the fire leave a person's eyes."

Louise stiffened for a second, 'the Reconquista? Wardes was with the Reconquista, he is a spy! HE MUST HAVE GOTTEN RID OF DOVE AND GUICHE!' with these thoughts burning into her mind Louise started thrashing.

"You don't have to think about anything anymore Louise, just follow my orders," Wardes reassured her, "Obey me and you will have a good life, maybe as a second wife of mine, or a servant with benefits."

Louise was absolutely disgusted with Wardes. Every single time he had touched her, even just to hold her hand now made her feel sick. How he had ever convinced her mother and father to engage her to him was beyond her. "NEVER!" she growled and struggled only to suddenly be released and flop forwards, almost falling flat on her face in a good five paces.

Only four paces away was another man she hadn't noticed before. Looking up she was immediately frightened by the cold look in his eyes. He wore a green cloak with robes befitting a priest like Cardinal Mazarin, his hair was shoulder length graying blond with a skull tight black cap on top.

Louise shivered as he spoke, his voice rather deep but almost dead like, as if he was used to saying the same thing over and over. "You cannot escape, descendant of the void." Raising his hand to eye level Louise saw a ring.

She had just enough time to wonder two things; 'isn't that the ring we are supposed to get for the water spirit? And what does descendant of the void mean?' before the purple light from the ring was all she could see and Wardes got a sense of power by watching the fire leave her eyes.

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Dove was meditating, her breath was slow and even. She was sitting at the front of an airship with the wind in her hair.

It had started in little bursts, getting angry over things that she honestly shouldn't have, mostly when her possessions or person had been affected. Then there was the language, she sometimes found herself thinking in the dragon's language. Altogether she felt like she was adopting a unwelcome dragon like attitude within.

The moments when this was most apparent was when she would fight in her dragon form. She had, for several moments, completely lost it with Fouquet. The desire to punish the thief for coming anywhere near her lair had been so great that she had somehow learned Alduin's own shout.

She had started meditating to contain these instincts like her mentor Paathurnax but now she simply couldn't seem to contain the rage that burned within her. Every breathing exercise quickly gained pace as she thought of Wardes and Louise.

He. Had. Taken. Her. he had taken someth- one that belonged to her. He was a traitor to his people, and she had trusted him.

The personal offence felt like it had physically burned her with the rage it created.

Finally giving up on calming down she stood up and roared at the clouds around her. The crewmen all vacated the entire front of the ship as she started throwing bolts of lightning at the offending clouds. **"When I find that DRAAF KLOV I'm going to use his NIIV NAJUL as a coin purse!"** she shouted as she threw a fire ball off to the side of the ship to vaporize a small cloud that happened to look like an innocent upside down bunny.

Tabitha watched the woman at the front of the ship give a dragon sized temper tantrum. It was awe inspiring and fascinating at the same time. She honestly had no idea that lightning and fire could create such a display of color as she was watching get played out on the white canvas of the sky.

The captain of the ship, who was beginning to regret allowing the four mages and their familiars on his ship, came up to her. "Miss? Is there anything you can do to calm down your friend there?" he asked with a wary look as Dove started adding ice to the mix of things she was throwing around.

Tabitha tilted her head, thinking of the book she had read when her mother had first been taken from her. One talked about emotional responses to physical actions. "I'll try," she decided to the captain's relief.

Making her way from the back of the ship to the front Tabitha kept thinking over everything she had read. There had to be something she could do or say to calm the raging woman down.

Finally stopping five feet behind Dove she watched for a second or two as a shard of ice flew from Dove's finger tips and then exploded in a shower of blue, almost purple, as she shocked it with a bolt of lightning in the next second.

It took maybe ten seconds of this kind of waiting before Dove realized that there was someone else within ten feet of her.

Twisting around she leveled a glare at the small cerulean. Tabitha raised an eyebrow as she watched Dove's eyes glow with their golden glint that refused to go back into the blue that she had before her temper was awakened.

The only sound was Dove's heavy breathing and the fading thunder as both girls just stood there waiting. Tabitha opened her arms in an inviting manner. Dove froze while she watched Tabitha warily, she moved closer until she was within easy reach of Tabitha before standing awkwardly, unable to think of what next to do.

Tabitha made the choice easy by coming the rest of the way putting her arms around Dove despite her head only reaching about Dove's chest. Tabitha slowly slid down onto her seat, pulling Dove down with her until she was sitting next to the smaller girl, then she maneuvering Dove's head until it was resting on her lap.

Dove didn't know what to feel now, her rage had abated temporarily as she tried to puzzle out what this joore was doing to her. Then she felt something pulling though her hair, it was soft, smooth, and made her blush at how she knew she must look to anyone watching.

"It's alright, we will get him."

Dove took a second to realize that Tabitha was the one talking to her and running fingers though her hair. She felt immensely comforted by her short sentence. She still was going to bisect Wardes by ripping him apart by his legs, but she felt in control with what Tabitha holding her. Unbidden she felt the beginning of a song humming on her lips.

 _Don't you worry don't you worry child~_

It had always made her feel better when she was young hearing this song, she had almost forgotten it in recent years

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The sun was beginning to set on the horizon.

Only those who had been inside the church when the emissaries had arrived were witness to a happy occasion, something that didn't happen all too often with this sad time upon them.

The wedding between the Tristian emissary and her guard was about to start. Prince Wales stood at the front of the church in front of the alter with Wardes as the groom on his left and Louise as the bride on his right.

"Then we shall begin," Wales announced ceremoniously to the assembly of knights. They raised their sword/wands in salute for the couple to be.

"The groom, Viscount Jean Jacques Francis de Wardes," Wales started the sacred ceremony, "On the name of our founder Brimir, will you vow to respect and love this individual, and take her as your wife?"

Wardes almost seemed to relax, his face becoming even softer, and maybe a little uncaring as he said, "I do."

Wales turned to Louise, who was wearing a linen veil, the only dressing up they could do at the moment, but apart from that was still in her school uniform.

"The bride, the third daughter of Duke La Valliere, Louise Francoise Le Blanc De La Valliere. Will you vow to respect and love this individual, and take him as your husband?"

Internally Louise was screaming, she could just barely see the world around her, the purple light that had come from the ring was still all around her, blotting out almost everything around her. Contrary to her sight, she could hear perfectly and was aware of everything they were saying.

In front she could just make out a golden light glinting off of blond hair, the prince preforming the wedding ceremony she assumed. She could feel her head moving, she could feel words being forced up her throat.

'THERE IS NO WAY I'M GOING TO BETRAY MY FREIND!' Louise shouted in her mind thinking of how the princess would feel, what she would think, when she hears about her marrying this traitor. She squashed her tongue backwards, trying to freeze the words in her esophagus.

"I d-" she barely managed to stop it in time.

"Bride?" Wales asked at her hesitation.

"I'm terribly sorry," Wardes smoothed over, "It seems that our bride is a bit nervous."

Wales, bless his naive heart, nodded in understanding, "perfectly understandable. Then I shall ask again."

He looked back to Louise, a reassuring smile on his lips. "Will you vow to respect and love this individual-"

Internally Louise howled, "NO! NEVER! SOMEONE HELP ANOTHER PERSON HAS TAKEN CONTROL OF MY BODY!' To the side, hidden behind a pillar was the same green clothed priest looking man, a perverted grin on his face and a purple glow still coming from his hand.

"- and take him as your husband?" Wales finished.

"I d…" Louise was still crushing her tongue into her throat in a desperate attempt to end her words. 'SAVE ME!' she cried.

*Knock… Knock, **KNOCK! ***

A sound from the other end of the hall surprised everyone. The door into the hall had been barred because they knew no one would come to a wedding all the way out here.

Containing his surprise, Wales gestured to a knight at the far end of the hall. That man crept up to the door and opened a little eye slot to look out and let sound in.

"- **O DAH!"** was basically the last thing the poor man heard that night.

The entire door.

The _ENTIRE DOOR,_ leapt from their hinges and flew twenty feet into the hall, carrying the fully armored knight with it to land flattened in a graceless heap twenty feet into the hall.

Outside was a tall woman, maybe nineteen years old by her looks, but no one was appreciating her looks as she immediately stalked into the room over the doors eliciting a groan from under them as they shifted with her weight.

Louise suddenly saw the light leave and felt her mind grow clear. She twisted around to see who saved her. Of course it was her familiar, her friend, and her soon to be teacher; Dovahkiin.

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Thanks to Tabitha Dove had remained calm all the way up to the door. At its refusal to open She had quickly regained her burning rage. Now she smiled, her eyes closed. "I did knock," she pointed out before opening her golden eyes to glare at the front of the hall. "Now I have a bastard to skin, if you would be so kind as to move away, Louise, blond person."

Wardes didn't panic, his associate still had control of Louise so he still had leverage to convince her to come to his side. "DOVE!" Louise's voice broke the silence and Wardes gaped for a second as he realized that the binding had been broken.

'Threat assessment:' Wardes mind went over everything quickly, 'fair Dove has somehow followed us, Louise has broken the binding, and the room is full of knights who will attack me once the beautiful Dove, and Louise get them to listen to their side.'

Knowing it was a lost cause to gain control of the void user he instead moved to secure one of the secondary objectives.

Dove's eyes widened as she saw Wardes hand move, it quickly grabbed the hilt of his sword and moved towards the other two at the front. Dove leapt forwards, "WULD!" left her throat as the world blurs around her.

Wales gaped at the speed of the woman before a cold feeling stabbed him in the chest. For a second he was confused, he knew that he had a shirt and coat on, so he shouldn't be feeling a draft on his chest.

Looking down he realized that it wasn't a hole in his shirt, it was a sword that had pierced his chest and if he had to guess by the cold feeling, he would have to say that it was coming also sticking out the back of his body.

Following the blade with his eyes he came to lock glares with Wardes of all people, "you are Reconquista," he accused before the pain set in and he began to spit up blood.

Dove gaped in shock, she had thought that Wardes was going for Louise and had pulled her away from the group when she reached them, to be wrong in a life or death option was never a good thing.

Louise trembled, the strain of fighting against the mental control and the look on the prince's face as Wardes withdrew his blade with a flourish that tossed the prince to the side, conveniently at the feet of the girls was to much for her.

"Come here Louise," Wardes ordered his girl coldly, hoping the mental control was still at least partially in effect.

Louise flinched at his voice and started trembling harder.

Dove gently pushed her down onto her knees and then onto her butt next to the prince and took a position in front of the both of them.

"Fair Dove, my lady, I'm surprised to see you here. How did you find us? My companion was supposed to keep you distracted long enough to-" Wardes started only to be cut off by Dove.

"I'M. NOT. YOUR. LADY." she ground out glaring at him. Then she smirked a little, "as for how I got here? Mole power, and I think whomever you sent to 'distract' me got cold feet," She answered.

"No matter," Wardes said, "I would like you to join us, Dove."

"Join who?" Dove asked sarcastically.

"The Reconquista," Wardes said easily, "we are the true leaders of Albion, and soon we will unite the land into a single glorious country and regain the holy land for all to enjoy. Please Dove, lend us your strength in this endeavor." Wardes was, as a poet would say, waxing elegant in his speech.

Dove was unmoved.

"I know that you are strong," Wardes continued his praise, "I would go as far as saying that you might be one of if not the strongest mage to ever walk the land of Halkeginia. I have watched you when you talk about magic, you have only used a tiny amount of your abilities. We could bring the other lands under our reign with less blood shed but only if you help us."

*Crackle*

Wardes looked down at her hands, they were wreathed in tiny bolts of lightning, the knights all took a step back, no one had ever seen a person bringing a spell into being without a wand or sword before.

Wardes gasped as he saw the light show and then laughed, "You see?" he said pointing at the magic with his eye's wide and his fanatical grin wider, "you were meant to help us, you and I both wield the art of lightning like true masters. It can only be a sign that we were meant to work closely together-"

*BOOM! *

Only his finely honed fighting instincts kept Wardes from becoming an instant fried chicken.

The literal storm of lightning that burst over the ground he had been standing on a second ago created a crater and blackened the ground around it, a single 'strand' of lightning managed to find him and he gasped in pain as all the muscles in his arm clenched so hard that they almost tore themselves from the bone.

As he had spoken Dove had listened, fighting the dragon urge to destroy the Joore while he kept on talking. Simply put; she lost the fight within. "RAAH!" Dove roared as she leapt at Wardes, almost all conscious thought leaving her as she sought to tear the man apart with her talons.

Wardes ducked under the blind swing of Dove's hands, in the back of his mind he wondered if the strange golden glow to Dove's eyes was the literal physical form of her magic showing its self to the world.

Dove punched forwards with her left hand and actually managed to seize a fist full of Wardes hair, that promptly caught fire. Wardes pulled away, a sad look crossing his face.

"There wouldn't be any bloodshed if you didn't decide to start a war!" Dove shouted, honest to the nines spittle flying from her mouth as she roared her fury at the man in front of her.

Warde's eyes widened and then narrowed. "I see, he said idly patting out the flames on his long bangs. "I guess that I can't convince you now, oh well, I look forwards to when you are in a better state of mind and at least I got half of the objectives completed."

"Half of what?" Dove snarled just now remembering that she had a sword and drawing it.

Wardes drew himself up. "I have the letter, and I have killed Wales, the few things I was supposed to do that I haven't achieved is your cooperation and securing the void mage," Wardes looked unhappily at Dove, "You _should_ join us, the winning side." Dove moved closer, her eyes not moving from Wardes throat _; her target._

"Instead I will have to attempt to stop you here." Wardes lifted his sword and slashed it over head, slicing through rafters and some of the higher up torches. A small explosion of fire and falling wood crashed down on top of and between the enraged hidden dragon and Wardes.

Dove threw up an arm to cover her face from the heat of the flames, "I'm going to kill you Wardes," Dove said after the heat slightly abated, looking over the flames in between the two them.

"Do you think you have time?" Wardes said purposefully looking to the side.

Dove shot a look in the same direction to see Louise, still by the dead prince's side, she was still trembling and staring mutely ahead. The fire was spreading quickly, soon Louise would be engulfed.

When Dove looked back at Wardes she found that she could only see the top of his head over the fire as he walked away.

Turning back Dove picked up Louise. She was still clutching Wales hand and as stiff as a board, worrying Dove. "Louise?" she tried calling out to the limp girl.

There was no response.

"Louise, look at me," worry was beginning to entire Dove's voice, she needed Louise. She completely forgot the flames around them as she gently shook her.

Louise's trembling slowed but didn't stop.

"Louise! Look at me my child!" Dove shouted, trying to get through to Louise.

Louise suddenly reached around with both arms and pulled at Dove's dress, her hands clamping down white knuckled on her before reaching for more cloth, trying to gather all of the woman who in turn held her closer, deeper into her arms.

"Dove-" Louise sobbed. The pain of Wardes betrayal, the weariness of fighting the mind control, holding Wales hand comfortingly as he died, everything left her to shattered to care about her mom rule of steel as tears poured from her with her gasping emotions.

Dove pulled Louise deeper into her hug, almost to the point of hurting Louise. "It's all right, I have you Louise," she murmured into the top of the girl's hair and planted a soft kiss on it.

The sound of a falling pillar made Dove jerk her head around to realize that the fire was almost completely around them now. There was only a few spots of clear floor in what otherwise looked like a sea of flame.

Remembering when Alduin set the Helgin on fire she began to worry. The buildings there had become almost brittle before completely crashing down. The building was getting weaker by the second and her thu'um might bring the roof down on their heads.

The question of how they were going to get out of there was answered just as Dove was getting desperate enough to risk her ice breath towards a window.

A sudden light appeared around the both of them and for a second Dove thought that one of the nines or daedrics had decided to intervene for them. The light around them rushed upwards carrying the two of them with it as it crashed through the roof and out into the open air.

Relived, Dove could see their rescuers, flying on Sylphid was both Tabitha and Kirche with their wand and staff pointed at the both of them. "Hey, are you all right?" Oh, and Guiche was riding his large mole, being gripped in Sylphid's forelegs.

Louise was limp in Dove's arms and for a second she worried that Louise had passed on, until she reached down and reassured herself of Louise's condition; passed out from emotional and physical exhaustion, but alive.

With a crash the church below was turned into a large pile of rubble, it had been so close to being their grave Dove realized with a shudder.

* * *

 **I like that song, that is why I placed it in there**

 **Ps**

 **I don't own Don't you worry child by Swedish House Mafia.**

 **So I'm out of school for summer, so I don't know how this will effect my updating process**

 **I need to find and do a summer job**

 **that's why I don't know how summer will effect my story.**


	20. Chapter 20

**SCRRREEEEEEEECCCHHH!**

 **I'm here**

...

 **maybe a little late but I'm here**

 **job searching takes a lot of time.**

 **I might own a lot of things but the rights to Familiar of Zero and Skyrim aren't two of them**

* * *

 **Boyzilla: In hindsight I can see the humor but I actually first wrote that scene completely serious. then added a little humor. Now that you mention it I can hear the Skyrim theme during that moment.**

 **Akshka: I'm considering what to do to him when Dove finds Wardes again, I'm running out of T rated ideas, do you have some or should I go up a rating just for him?**

 **FM Tomomi: Thank you for your opinion, I have sent you a PM with my feelings on the mater, could I get a response to that please?**

 **redburningdragon:...I think it's a Typo on my end, or its interchangeable, I was using JOORE to mean MORTAL, but it might have been spelled JOOR. Destruction, that's a given, she has all the Thu'um down as well and I think you're going to have to read to get the rest.**

 **Holotenty: Thanks, hope you enjoyed the rest of the story as you did with the first chapter.**

 **JOOP-ROLL: Considering... maybe, I hope to stay in the T rating but I might end up going into R for how much I hate Wardes.**

 **GGFBank: I did set his hair of fire *Whining voice* I was going for a taste of dragon fury in human form. The next meeting will have death in it.**

 **Dovgrahdeen: I know everyone hates Wardes, so do I, so it should be even better when we reach the 'final showdown' event. Tabitha is now confusingly calm haven for her so they should get closer.**

 **Atzeonik: Honestly I am very frightened about the Canon death of Wales, I know that action has long term effects on the story that as stated in my cover, I have yet to finish yet. Wardes got away because Dove ignored Louise's condition until the fire was almost licking her forcing her to save them and let him get away.**

 **perfectshade: I hadn't considered where Albion was, I was making a slight joke about FOZ being an Anime. I feel bad about how unprepared Louise was, she got taken for a ride by those currents because of her inexperience. The first time I wrote Wardes talking I made him sound like a pervert, I instead wanted him to be like someone who gets off on feeling powerful (there is a difference), I think Wardes is everything bad about Nobility but instead of 'incompetent beyond the basic skill of his chosen craft,' I think he is more like the pinnacle of his one trick pony.**

 **The weather in my imagery, I should have written it better, is cloudy but not thunderous, Dove provides her own thunder. I felt that it highlighted how powerful Dove is in comparison to others. First idea had Dove smashing in though the ceiling until I considered how many broken bones that would have so I left the suddenness of her entrance but chose another angle. I stayed close to cannon because I know this moment is pivotal for a good portion of the rest of the story.**

 **Telron: Thank you.**

* * *

Dove hated herself.

She stood at attention, the most respectful she had ever been in the presence of royalty, just behind Louise as she held the ring she had been gifted by the dying prince to princess Henrietta.

Both girls were crying, Louise wasn't looking up from her groveling bow so she couldn't see the tears collecting in her eyes like Dove could.

"I'm sorry for failing you," Louise breathed out as if scared that she would be punished by her friend.

"No it is my fault," Henrietta said only a hairs breath calmer.

Louise, surprised by this jerked her head up in time to see the first of the princess's tears create rivers on her face. "I appointed Wardes to your group," Henrietta said, "The blame lies with me. Please forgive me Louise, and thank you for bringing at least this much of him back to me."

Dove left as the Princess pulled Louise into a hug, remaining silent the entire time.

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She pulled and pushed the dough in front of her around on the counter top. Huddled in the corner was Martone and Siesta, Siesta slightly behind the broad chef.

Dove's face looked… dark. There wasn't any other word that could describe her after she had come back from where ever she had gone.

Dove was going though her memory of what had happened over and over again. She had completely lost it with Wardes.

When Wardes had moved to strike the prince, Dove had guessed wrong and moved to protect Louise. She should have been able to protect both Louise and Wales. She had potions of healing, she should have given one to Wales, she had the healing hands spell, she should have used it instead of going after Wardes.

She had failed.

She had failed to control herself and the mission had failed because of it.

Suddenly she slammed her dough onto the table top, she had roughed it up too much and now it was going to cook into something dense and hard to chew instead of the light bread it was supposed to be.

"I'm going out," she said looking at the trembling pair.

Both nodded without any other movement.

Dove turned and left.

The two others got up and moved to pick up the fallen kitchenware, Dove didn't notice but as she had been trying to kill the dough she had knocked over several pots and pans. Luckily nothing was broken but it had been frightening to watch Dove vent.

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Outside Dove grabbed a few boards from a stock pile, they had them on hand for when errant spells destroyed parts of the class room, and a bucket before marching for the opening to the wall.

All the way to her cave Dove was on the lookout for downed branches and sticks. Arriving there she placed the boards down, one she split and set it up for a fire. She repeated her trip until she had a plentiful pile of raw lumber and a good base for a fire set up.

A quick spell and the flames were started. Walking back outside she traveled around to gather up all the wood she could carry. Back at the cave she spread it out to make a large bed of coals. Placing large stones around the fire, and the pot on top of it all.

She quickly filled the pot and started sinking some of the remaining boards into the water to make a floor.

She really needed to make some furniture. Deciding to at least do something while she waited, Dove got to work making a bed.

Half an hour later she had a frame and a small shelf, the water had finally warmed.

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Louise had given her report to the headmaster, Professor Colbert had been there asking to go out looking for some dragon.

Osmond had been very sympathetic to her. He had allowed her speak without any interruptions, something she needed to get though the entire horrible flashback.

Afterwards he had sighed, "the Reconquista," he rolled the name over his tongue. "They sound like a rather troublesome group. Thank you for this, it must have been hard for you to witness all that. You should take a nice vacation."

Louise sighed, still confused about something. Looking at Osmond she was reminded that he was a powerful and studious mage so he might be able to help her understand.

"Osmond," Louise started, unsure exactly how to ask. "Do you know about the descendant of the void?" she settled on asking.

Osmond raised his eyebrows, remembering his conversation with Dovahkiin what seemed like years ago.

"My memory is uncertain," Louise continued, "and I don't know who it was that called me that, but I'm sure someone did."

Osmond decided to take the giant dragon's advice. "Louise, I haven't heard the term before but I can guess at what it means. We here at the academy have suspected that you are a void mage like the founder himself."

Louise's jaw dropped. 'What?' was the only thing going through her mind.

"I understand if it is hard for you to take in all at once," Osmond said reassuringly.

"What makes you think that I, I'm, I can. I mean, I can't use magic, not successfully," Louise stuttered out.

Osmond explained, "only professor Colbert and I suspect, we haven't told anyone else but when you summoned your familiar, Dovahkiin, the runes that formed on her were identical to the records of the runes on Brimir's familiar Gandolf."

'Well, Dove is a powerful familiar,' Louise thought, sticking to what was 'safe' to think about. "How am I powerful enough to have summoned her?" Louise didn't mean to say it out loud but she ended up doing just that.

Osmond reached forwards and gripped her hand. "Louise, you are strong," he said looking her dead in the eyes, "We think that the reason for your magic always resulted in an explosion is because void magic is so different from the magic we teach here."

"So I can't ever learn to use magic because no one knows how to use it," Louise said bitterly.

"I can offer you all the support I have and promise to look though every book and resource in this academy to help you," Osmond said simply. "For now," he counseled, "you should take a break. The mission has strained all of you girls."

Louise was touched, she had honestly thought at times that all the teachers here hated her, especially after she had sent a few of them to the hospital wing. "Thank you," she said and left.

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She had gone looking for Dove. Who was nowhere to be found.

Louise realized that she didn't even know what room in the servant quarters was Dove's. Searching around she eventually gave up and flagged down a maid.

"Excuse me? Do you know where Dove's room is?" she asked politely.

Siesta nodded, "yes my lady, but I don't think you would find her there."

Louise frowned, "Why is that?"

"She left," Siesta responded, "She arrived back from wherever she had gone to and started cooking. Well, she started cutting salad muttering about 'other heads she wanted to slice'," She shivered, remembering her glare as she worked, "then started pounding the dough within an inch of its life before declaring that she was 'going out.' That's all I know."

"Where did she go?" Louise demanded taking a forceful step forwards.

"I don't know," Siesta replied, getting a little frightened.

Louise growled and ran her hands though her hair before stomping off leaving a confused Siesta behind.

'Where did she go? For a better question, why did she leave during the mission? What does she do when she isn't with me?' Louise decided to get to the bottom of all these questions today. If she ever found Dove that is.

'How can she find Dove?'

"I was on a desperate journey for the sake of our country," a voice distracted her. Looking around she found Guiche, Tabitha, and Kirche all walking together

Watching them she got a brilliant idea. "Guiche!" she shouted out, racing towards them.

The three of them stopped and looked at her. "Hi Louise," Kirche said with a smirk, "how are things?"

Louise sighed, "Okay, I think. Guiche I need you to find Dove for me."

Guiche jumped in surprise, "Me? What makes you think I could find her?"

Louise rolled her eyes, "Dove told me that you were the one they followed to find me and Wardes in Albion, so you must have some way to find people since we were deliberately secretive about where we were going while here she's just gone somewhere."

Guiche smiled sheepishly and shrugged, "I'm sorry Louise, but the only reason I was able to find you was because Verdanti was following the ring on your finger, she like's precious stones. I don't have any way to follow her since she doesn't carry any."

"OH!" Louise puffed up with her temper.

Kirche tilted her head, "Is Dove missing?" The elf in disguise was always found somewhere around the academy so it was rather surprising that she would just vanish.

Louise sighed, "I think she was angry about the mission, she was said to be cutting heads of lettuce muttering about someone else's head and working dough to death before out of the blue saying that she was 'going out' and hasn't been seen since."

Kirche, and Guiche winced at the image it invoked.

"I'll find her," Tabitha said looking up from her book.

Everyone turned to look at her in the back of the group. "Really? How?" Louise and Kirche asked.

Tabitha put two fingers in her mouth and whistled. The wind picked up and tossed the groups cloths as Sylphid flew in answer.

"Eater, find her please," Tabitha asked Sylphid when she landed.

"Why do you call Dove eater?" Guiche asked and they all ignored because they couldn't think of a reason to answer without giving away too much.

They mounted up and were in the air quickly, moving in a grid Sylphid looked for a sent she could follow. Around the entrance she found one and swiftly moved off towards the nearby forest.

Flying around the open area they found the trail to go unerringly towards the tree line. "Do you think she went hunting?" Louise asked.

Tabitha shrugged.

The trees quickly started growing closer and closer together, realizing that it would soon be impossible to track Dove's sent by air Tabitha motioned her familiar to land. Setting down in a small clearing everyone disembarked watching Sylphid. The dragon moved to one side, towards a small group of trees and boulders.

'Eaters underground, in those rocks." Sylphid said in Tabitha's mind.

"This way," Tabitha said moving towards the rocks, looking for the hole in the ground that must be there if Dove was underground.

A quick search reviled that the ground was littered with boulders and tree roots but no holes. "Where is she?" Louise groaned and looked at Tabitha.

Tabitha took a deeper look at the surrounding area. There was a space of open dirt she noticed, the large area was clear of any growth right down to the dirt. Glancing around she saw a small bolder about the same size as the indentation that was pressed up against a larger bolder.

Moving over she pushed on the boulders side, it fell over revealing the sought after hole. Wind whistled from the new opening giving the scene a little eerie feel.

"Here," Tabitha said looking at their startled faces.

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Dove was really enjoying the bath. The nobles used steam and damp cloths to wash in the academy, but to her there was nothing better than floating in a sea of warmth like a bath. The water lapping around the higher parts of her body as she floated on her back like a chain of islands and enveloping her submerged lower sections in its warmth.

She guessed it was a byproduct of living in Skyrim, she loved anything warm since it almost was an unheard of luxury.

The only thing dimming this perfect moment was the memory of reporting in to the princess.

The princess had tried to claim responsibility for the failure because she had allowed Wardes to go, and Louise had tried to claim the fault because of her relation to both Wardes and the fact that she had been by the prince's side when the blow had been struck.

But Dove knew she could have saved them all, she could have moved to stop Wardes instead of having to choose between the two possible victims. The fault was hers alone, she had let her issue separate her from the group and then cloud her judgment later.

What she needed to do was separate herself from the guilt and fully analyze the situation before she tried to make sense of it rationally.

Deciding to be done with the bath she sat up and started to rise from the water.

Down the 'hall.'

"-I mean, what by Brimir would Dove be doing inside of a cave?" Louise asked exasperated as she rounded a bend in the dank tunnel. She really didn't like this place at all, it was dark, cold, and wet.

"Maybe she likes where it leads?" Kirche suggested as she walked into Louise's back. "Oof, Louise what did you stop for?"

Louise was staring ahead in surprise.

"Hey guys, What's the hold up?" Guiche said move up to front.

Standing in a large pot that just covered her hips, arms grasping the edge to push herself out was a wet, light bikini tan lined Dove, looking them in surprise.

For a second Guiche was conscious, in awe of the sight before him as his eyes moved up her body, water was running down from her shoulders down her valley, beginning to bead together as it clung to her hot skin in the cold air, and dripping off of her- then his nose felt wet and he passed out before his eyes reached her face.

"My my," Kirche said grinning ear to ear at the slowly turning red girl. "I didn't know you had a spa, you should have told me."

Dove sank back into the water until only the top of her head and ears were poking out.

"I- ah, Sorry Dove, I didn't think you would have a... That you wouldn't be decently dressed in a cave," Louise stuttered out.

"Dove peeked over the edge, "could you hand me the towel?" she asked piteously.

"That can wait," Kirche said before Louise could respond, "I'm curious about how the water feels." She started unclasping her cloak.

"Kirche! what if Guiche wakes up?" Dove cried as the cloths started falling off her friend.

Kirche pulled her skirt and undergarments down and stepped into the water with a sigh. "Louise, be a dear and push Guiche back 'round the bend, please," Kirche said as the water warmed her.

Louise numbly pulled Guiche back into the tunnel by his arms.

"Why are all my friends so weird," Dove grumbled.

"Don't know," Tabitha said from next to her.

Dove did a double take, "when did you get naked, or in the water?"

Tabitha shrugged with a blank look on her face and sank until only her eyes and nose were above the water.

"So…" Louise started as she sat on a convenient bed side, looking away from the pot, "Dove I want to ask you, what's wrong?"

Kirche raised a curious brow and looked at Dove with Tabitha. Dove frowned.

"I don't know what you mean Louise. What makes you think something is wrong apart from the fact that we messed up big time on a mission?"

Louise remembered the two questions she had thought of on the airship to Albion. 'Wardes lied because he was trying to separate us so that answers the first question.' she thought but remembered that she didn't have a concrete answer for the second question, 'why did Dove leave?'

Her own thoughts had at the time noticed that Dove was often alone, she knew Dove would leave gatherings with servants early, she just didn't know why.

"Dove," Louise started, "why did you leave the group?"

Dove frowned, "I needed a walk, Wardes said we were leaving in an hour so I left. He tricked me." She sounded bitter.

"Why were you leaving in the first place," Louise asked.

"I needed some alone time," Dove said getting irritated.

"You are alone often, in fact, no one at the academy knows you have a place like this," Louise pointed out, "What's wrong Dove? You aren't the kind of person to stay away from people."

"You kidnap me from my home and now you seem to know everything about me!?" Dove snapped, her eyes glowing gold before swiftly turning blue again.

Stunned Louise stared at Dove only to see the horror on her face. Suddenly Dove was crying. She pulled her legs up into her arms and sobbed.

Kirche and Tabitha immediately moved to embrace her while Louise awkwardly rubbed her shoulders from outside the pot. Kirche shushed Dove as she kept on crying.

It took almost five minutes before she calmed down enough to talk, when she did it was in a broken voice. "When I arrived here I noticed that there seemed to be something wrong with me," she said unhappily, "I would get so angry and lose focus on things. At first it was only in combat, then it started being more and more common."

"Has anything like this happened before?" Louise asked, unsure of how she could help her friend.

"Not that I know," Dove said brokenly.

"Do you have any Idea why?" Louise asked, needing to know more to help.

Dove sighed, gaining more and more control as time passed, "Dovah sos, the dragon blood, in their tongue. It allows the dragon born to use the thu'um with ease though fighting with and killing dragons. However, when I was brought here I started feeling rage and anger the likes of which I have only heard described to me by my dragon mentor Paarthurnax."

"I feel like I'm growing the same instinctually dominating personality as a dragon and that frightens me. I am afraid of losing my mind to the dragon within, like how I just snapped at you only more permanently."

Louise felt like hugging her sopping wet familiar, she needed it.

All the girls were silent for a minute then Louise asked, "You have been meditating to help control yourself, right? That's why you are spending so little time with others."

Dove nodded, "It was just too much today. All the things I should have- would have done if I had contained myself. Wales wouldn't have died."

"Can we meditate with you?" Kirche asked out of the blue.

Dove blinked, "you want to spend at least an hour of the day just sitting completely still with no talking?"

Kirche grinned, "It would be enjoyable if we all do it together, and we want to help you."

Dove looked around at the faces of everyone else in her cave. They all had the same supportive look. She smiled softly, touched by their kindness. "Thank you," she whispered in acceptance before getting up and drying off.

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In the castle of evilly-ness.

Really it was the old royal palace, Newcastle, but since it had been taken by the Reconquista, and someone had decided that meeting rooms only needed one candle in the middle of the table to illuminate the room...

In said meeting rooms were three people, Wardes, Fouquet and the man in priest cloths, also known as Lord Cromwell.

Currently Wardes was making a report that could only boost his lord's ego. "All of Albion, nobles and peasants a like, are bowing in servitude to you, your Excellency."

Cromwell smirked and looked to his hand, to the ring that adorned it. "What should be feared is the magical power hidden in this ring. To think something so small, so precious, could have such power over people."

"It was worth the efforts taken in seizing it from the Water Spirit," Fouquet piped up proudly.

Wardes scoffed, "If only you had put more effort into stopping Dove from getting to the second airship, then I could have secured the void mage and taken Dove as my own."

"Feeling sore that she took your good looks?" Fouquet mocked glancing at his left bang which was several inches shorter than the right.

Wardes gave her a death glare, "She is a strong mage, if we can get her on our side it will make winning all that much easier," he said the last part to Lord Cromwell, hoping to gain his support.

"I don't see how one woman would make any difference," Cromwell said unconcernedly, "it's not like she has the void as her element."

Fouquet sighed, "maybe you should be concerned about the two dragons she can summon to her aid," she really hated helping Wardes at all, but on this matter they needed to know. They wouldn't trust her later if she kept this a secret.

Cromwell blinked and turned to her, "two dragons? What do you mean?"

Wardes turned as well. 'this is making her more interesting, if that was possible,' he thought with a growing grin.

Fouquet frowned, "do you think I would abandon a job partway without a very good reason? After Dove was alone I was going to attack and delay her a little while longer. Then I saw what she was doing, she was summoning dragons, the same kind as Louise's damned familiar only larger. One even had the look of a corpse, it's wings were ragged and skin rotting, yet it stood proud."

Cromwell raised an eyebrow, "This woman sounds more interesting every time one of you mention her could one of them be her familiar?"

Fouquet ground her teeth while Wardes smiled. "she does, doesn't she, my lord," he answered, " and no she doesn't have a familiar."

Wardes realized how he could open the ranks for when she realizes she belongs with him, "Would it not be possible with the ring to make her join our side? I think the land that she comes from must be the in the holy lands for her to have been blessed with such power."

Cromwell frowned, "you really think she could be a serious threat to our invasion of Tristian?"

Wardes and Fouquet both nodded, they could at least agree on that point.

"I see, thank you for your opinion. A pair of dragons… You said they are the same kind as the void users familiar? What are its capabilities?" Cromwell asked.

Fouquet took a step closer, "the dragon Dovahkiin can spit multiple elements, for her performance she burnt half of the stage and in the next breath covered the other half in ice. Next she rode through the sky going almost twice as fast as a wind dragon."

Cromwell mussed, Wind dragons were possibly the fastest dragons to exist in the entire country. Across Albion, Tristian, Romolia, and Germania, they were prized as the preferred mounts for curriers and military units that relied on speed.

His two lackeys were correct; this woman sounds like she could be an issue that could stand between him and destiny, or the servant who opens the door.

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In the royal palace gardens two woman stood on a little island in the middle. The older of the two was older but still unwrinkled woman with dark purple hair and a decidedly neutral look on her face.

The second was Princess Henrietta.

She looked like hell.

Her eyes were red and puffy, her calm facade was cracked and even though she could speak without sobbing now, it was only in short sentences.

"I have received word from Germania that they would like to call off the engagement," the older woman said without facing the princess.

"My haphazard action has caused this situation, Archduchess Marian. Please punish me however much you want." deep down the princess felt like she needed someone to hit her, her chosen had failed, her letters to her lover Wales had caused the Germanians to pull their away their protection. She knew she should be punished.

Archduchess Marian pronounced her judgment without even turning to look at her. "You have been thought enough pain already," she turned to face the princess then, "with the death of your loved one."

Henrietta stood straighter in surprise, she didn't think anyone else had known about her feelings towards Wales.

Archduchess Marian walked over and held the princess's cheeks with both hands, "That which has passed cannot be helped." she smiled gently at her daughter, "Let us accept all of it as destiny."

"Mother," Henrietta gasped out, trying to remain calm and regal, but it was hard and getting harder as her mother's acceptance of the her and the situation pulled tears from her all over again.

Marian pulled her only child into a hug and held her close as she cried.

The tender moment didn't last too long as a man came running up to the gazebo they were standing in.

"Your highness!" he cried kneeling before the two woman.

They turned to regard him. He lifted his head, his face a mask of fear and worry. "There is a crisis," he announced, "the country of Albion has renamed it's self the New state of the Reconquista, and declared war on Tristian."

Both women gasped as he spoke. Henrietta felt something aside from grief for the first time since receiving Wales ring; fear.

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Dove and the others were returning to the academy, Guiche felt at his head, the untreated blood loss had left him feeling uneasy and light headed.

But he did get an eye full of Dove's beautiful chest, so somehow it seemed worth it to him.

Inside there was a small gathering of mages wishing Professor Colbert well on his journey to find some great lost treasure, there were also a few chuckles discussing the odds of him getting completely lost and/or stranded in some remote place.

He laughed right along with his colleges while rubbing his bald head in embarrassment since they were probably right.

Nearby was Siesta, she was going back home to see her family and help out with a grain harvest. Dove watched both of them getting ready to leave separately, 'that's what we need to do!' she realized with a grin.

Kirche smiled when she saw Dove grin, "what made you turn your frown upside down?" she teased.

Dove turned to look at her. "We need to go on a trip, something that has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the world or reminds us about the mission we just went on to recharge," She said with a grin.

Tabitha frowned. The others needed to get their minds off the painful mission, she was used to the mission mind set, she didn't need any 'relaxing', but they might not go without her. "Good idea," she said encouragingly.

Louise couldn't think of anything wrong with that, the headmaster had said that all of them would need a break. "Agreed," she said smiling. 'Wait didn't the headmaster say all us girls?' she thought sneaking a glance at the only pure blond in their midst.

"But where would we go?" Guiche asked thinking out loud.

"I can't feel right about taking a break without doing something productive so why don't we go with Professor Colbert?" Dove suggested pointing at the professor as he started packing things into a cart.

"That works," Tabitha said, she could spend time swiping Colbert's books.

* * *

 **SIDE QUEST TIME!**

 **Side quest: a almost completely unrelated adventure in a much larger plot line.**

 **I have a idea about how to make the side quest funner, lets see how it turns out.**

 **Thank you for your support, I'm still looking for jobs but Have several interviews set up.**

 **Once 'work time' and 'play time' are established there should be a return to posting normalcy.**


	21. Chapter 21

**So, Hi.**

 **Still alive**

 **Just haven't gotten a proper scheduled down.**

 **Oddly it seems like I'm getting lots of new followers but substantially less reviews**

 **guess that's just how summer goes.**

 **Familiar of Zero is owned by... a name I should look up**

 **Skyrim is part of another group I should look up.**

* * *

 **!SOMETHING IMPORTANT!**

 **I'm considering going up in my rating to M**

 **the reasons are;**

 **I want to #### Wardes by ####### his #### in half, but that would be M rated.**

 **Secondly;**

 **I have had questions posted about Lemons...**

 **I haven't tried to write lemons before and don't know how well I can.**

 **But I never really knew how well my story ideas could be until I tried.**

 **What is your opinion? Should I go up in rating? if so should it be because I include lemons or because I have descriptive battle sequences?**

 **Or both?**

* * *

 **SanguinePanguine: Sheogorath will not be making an appearance, I have anti-fourth wall breacking spray that should keep him away since that is one of his favorite things to do I don't think he will show up-**

 **(challenge accepted)**

 **...dang, I blame you for bringing him back.**

 **Telron: I need to ask;**

 **is your name what happens when you smash the teletubbies and Voltron, defender of the universe, together?**

 **Akshka: I know, you should be ashamed,**

 **Can you think of anymore? I would love to see what you can come up with for the other A-holes from FOZ. :}**

 **redburningdragon: I think she stashed her 'borrowed' things in a corner when she made the bath. The pot is rather big, how big seems to depend on how big it needs to be in the anime. I like the plane, it will be there, but Dove can fly so it doesn't really matter in the end. I'm thinking about adding the phrase 'noble bashing' to the description, I noticed how often I think the nobles (even the good ones) are just a little stupid about the blindingly obvious.**

 **belgy: The pairing is Tabitha, there I said it outright in a chapter, I hid clues in another chapter but here it is outright.**

 **Gunre The Swedish Spartan: Thank you, a lot.**

 **helkil: You are one of the reasons I'm thinking of going M with the rating. Yes Tabitha is the pairing.**

 **perfectshade: you honestly think I will have to go M? Your reasons are sound so I think I may have to. Dang, so many choices on how to end Wardes last days/moments. Thanks, I don't know why but I almost never have any problems writing how Dove feels about her dragon side or when she's losing her temper, I go back several times for some scenes but never for those. The headmaster's choice was completely because Dovahkiin growled some sense into him regarding her magic.**

 **I really don't know the mechanics of building bathtubs, lets just say that she did it the same way Saito did in the anime. (they never did say how) There is a lot of nobles going AWOL in the beginning of FOZ... I guess they just have really forgiving teachers. Tabitha might have a dragon but she still has the skills she gathered from her days alone, she can make hunting inferences rather easily. I was afraid of making Dove seem fragile during this scene, how do you think I did? Yes nose bleed is a trope found in anime and can be annoying, I just needed something to remove him and that's what I could think of at the time.**

 **I know that the mission mind set isn't** **healthy. **

**I wrote about it because I think Tabitha would have it and has been living like that for the last few years possibly endangering her own mental health. grrr, I feel the most worried for Tabitha's mental health and she is a drawing on the screen, I don't think this one trip is going to erase her problems but it might help her realize she has them**

 **kyosuke-date-the soultaker: tres bien... I figured that out afterwards, It just burned my eyes and ears a bit to have to watch that.**

 **no offence to anyone like him, I just found him... over the top.**

* * *

The cart raddled down the road, carrying the group of six mages towards a little out the way town situated near the border between Tristian and Albion.

On the driver's seat next to Professor Colbert was Dove, she wanted to watch the scenery and get the first glance at the place they were going. Louise and Kirche were talking quietly about the land between their family's property. Tabitha had instantly moved in like a bird of prey on Colbert's books, lost in it instead of facing reality for now, and was enjoying one on the legends of different dragons, And Guiche was pretty much uselessly leaning against the side of the cart.

"I see it!" Dove called happily from the front as she stood up to point in the distance. Everyone glanced up from what they were doing to look in the distance.

A bunch of fenced off houses with almost identical white walls and orange-ish roofs met their eyes, there was a large building with three towers and many trees growing right in the middle of the down. Behind the town within easy walking distance was a range of mountains.

"It's just a town. Why are you so happy Dove?" Louise asked she grinning familiar.

"Only a fool can't appreciate the simple beauty and many mysteries hidden in plain little towns," Dove snipped back and stuck out her tongue, still grinning.

Louise huffed and looked away.

Dove dropped back down to sit on the bench, for a second before she was back to bouncing on it.

Kirche smiled in the back, happy that they had been able to break Dove out of her 'it's all my fault PS I'm losing my mind' attitude. Glancing to Louise she noticed that she also had a small smile despite getting teased by her familiar.

As the cart rolled into town Dove hopped down started walking. "I'm going to see the sights," she called over her shoulder, "see you back here in say, an hour?" And then she was gone.

Colbert sighed and checked into the inn he had stopped at while some stable boys handled the cart, the rest of the mages settled in their rooms.

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Dove walked down the road, watching people go about their business with rather happy looks on their faces. This was a happy town where people looked after each other. She could tell that by how the buildings were constructed. The houses were almost completely the same materials and colors because they most likely had been built by the communities all together instead of hog-pogoed by individual families over the years. You could often tell the attitude of the community by their buildings

She absolutely loved close nit places like this, the people were often very friendly.

Dove entered the market area, a small grouping of stalls in a loose circle where people offered their wares separate from the produce market area. The familiarity is very soothing in its own way, Dove decided then and there that this trip was the best idea she had ever had on the spot.

"Cabbages!" cried an old man's voice from down the way. Dove didn't pay any attention as she paused to examine a necklace a young man was selling.

"Fresh fruit!" called a young woman's voice from the same general area as the old mans. Produce sales people always were the loudest.

"GET YOUR EXPLODING CHEESE FIGURIENES!" Shrieked a loud, accented man's voice down the way.

Dove paused, 'where have I heard that before?'

"THEY ACTUALY WORK! HERE FEAST YOUR EYES ON THIS, ONE OF OUR FAVORETS; A MAN WITH AN ARROW ON HIS HEAD! HERE COLLEAGUE, HAVE ONE!"

BOOOMM!

"NOOOO MY CABBAGES!" wailed the first old man's voice.

"BWWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAH!"

'I'm sure I have heard that voice and product somewhere before,' Dove thought still distracted by the shiny pendant, or was it the locket that had first caught her eye? You never get anywhere in adventuring if you don't have a healthy love of shinny things.

Shaking her head and ignoring the small trail of smoke coming from the produce section Dove moved on.

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A little while down another road was a family leaving the produce area with... nine baskets? Dove blinked and was a little taken aback by the large number. The woman in front was black haired and lead the group. The rest of the group were two men, an older and a younger both black haired as well. "Why did they get so many?" Dove questioned looking at the black haired family.

The elder man of the family was holding four baskets of food and other supplies, the younger boy was also laden with four burdens.

The boy, not having the same experience with balancing the groceries like his father, was weaving around just a little bit and gaining a little more momentum each time he tried to correct his direction. Soon one minor pile of groceries started falling.

The boy grimaced and started to bend down to pick up the fallen food up before realizing that he couldn't with everything else in his hands.

Dove chuckled a little at the angry/annoyed look on his face. Deciding to take pity on him she walked over to help.

Julien had been having a rather good day, he had gotten up with the sun to help with his father, watering in their grain field until his mother had asked for them to come into town to get supplies for the rest of the family with her.

The morning had wound down and become rather boring as it progressed and he was honestly very happy when they paid for everything. The family would need these for the next few weeks until the harvest was complete and Julien as happy to help buy them because it was his way of measuring the time until his sister came home. She had left to get a job to help support the family.

Now he glared at the fallen cloth wrapped loaf of bread. He couldn't pick it up and it didn't occur to him to ask someone else to pick it up. Instead he stood there glaring at it as he tried to figure out how to get his cargo back.

"Here, let me," a voice next to his pulled Julien out of his thoughts. Before he could say anything a soft looking hand picked up the bread and dusted it off.

Julien looked at the women to say he could take care of it instead he found himself staring. She was cute, she had an almost angular-oval face that showed off her blue eyes and blond streaked hair.

Before a blush could form he looked away.

Dove finished dusting the dirt off the loaf and instead of handing it back she picked the top basket from his load. "Hey," the young man started, "that's ours."

"I know, you just looked like you needed help," Dove said.

The rest of the group had stopped a little up the road when they realized that their eldest son wasn't with them. Looking back the wife in the family smiled to see her son with a girl. "Hey~," She called out, "Julien, have you been hiding a girlfriend from your mother?"

Julien lost the battle and blushed bright red, "NO MOM SHE'S JUST A GIRL WHO HELPED ME PICK UP SOMETHING I DROPPED!"

Dove snickered and walked towards the family. "I noticed that he couldn't handle everything and stopped to help, why do you have only one basket? They do something to deserve this?" she asked teasing with the second question.

The woman of the trio smiled while the other two grumbled good naturally, "maybe~."

The man snorted and shifted his baskets around, "Tina," he said looking at the woman, "Stop teasing please."

Dove smiled and lifted the baskets, "I guess I'll help you take these back, if that's all right with you?"

The woman, Tina, nodded and started off leading the group.

Down the road, out of the town and towards a rather large farm with an even larger field. Dove followed the family, happy that she was doing something to help people like she did back home between end of the world events.

She paused in thought, considering how odd it was that she would consider end of the world events to be kind of 'normal' in her life.

Arriving at a large house Dove blinked to see kids running around, a lot of kids. There had to be five little ones running around playing tag or climbing trees. "Are their relatives home?" Dove wondered out loud looking at the eldest boy, the sixth child.

Tina heard her and nodded, "nope, we just have eight kids."

Dove gaped, "EIGHT!?" she collected herself, "why did you have so many?" now the heavy loads of supplies made sense.

Tina had a wicked smile, "Why stop?"

Dove and the man, she still didn't know his name, blushed.

Arriving at the front entity way, Dove placed the baskets next to where the others were unloading their own burdens.

"So," Dove started to fill the silence before it could start, "What is it like being the eldest of eight?"

Julien shook his head, "I'm not the oldest. I have a big sister who has left the house to get a job to help us."

"That sounds really responsible of her," Dove said wondering what this family would be like in Skyrim.

Julien grinned, "ya, I know. She actually should be visiting soon to help with the harvest."

"Surprise! I'm already here," came a voice from inside as a young woman came out from the building.

Dove turned and blinked.

Siesta jumped out of the door way and darted to her mother and father for a hug.

"Siesta?" the voice her brother had been talking to asked.

Turning around from her embrace Siesta smiled politely and then gasped, "Dove? What are you doing here?"

Her father looked down at her, "you know each other?" Both girls nodded.

"We work together at the academy," Dove said.

"And she protected me from a noble who wanted me to be his mistress," Siesta said smiling at Dove.

Everyone in the family instantly liked the kind woman a whole lot more. Tina left the group and walked over to Dove to pull her into a tight hug, "Thank you," Tina said with tears in her eyes.

Dove was embraced, she had been praised, sung, and honored before, but never hugged by the relative of someone she had helped.

"...You're welcome?" she said confused about what to do.

Siesta saved her, "So Dove, what brings you here?"

Tina pulled away from Dove much to her relief. "I needed to get away from the academy for a little while," Dove said shrugging to pull her mind to the new topic and avoiding the reason why, "So when Professor Colbert said he was looking for something in another town so I jumped at the chance." She paused, "If I had known, you were coming I would have offered you a ride in the cart."

Siesta smiled, "thanks for the offer, I'll make sure to run my plans by you from now on."

Dove laughed.

"So, what is this thing you're looking for?" Julien asked leaving the topic for now.

"I think Professor Colbert said something about a legendary dragon that was said to have lived around here," Dove said with a shrug.

Siesta's family frowned. "I think we know what you're talking about," Siesta said.

Dove blinked, "Really? You know the legend of this dragon? I honestly didn't before the professor told me." She rubbed he head embraced, "come to think of it, I didn't pay close attention to it while he was talking either."

Everyone nodded, "My grandfather was said to have come from another world riding a dragon," the patriarch of the family said.

Dove got interested, "came from another world on a dragon? I don't think any Dragons from my world would willingly let just anyone ride them." She hadn't meant to say that out loud but everyone heard it.

"You're from another world?" Julien asked.

Dove jumped, startled out of her thoughts. "I-ah, I think so," She admitted, "nothing is remotely similar to the place I lived so I think that I either traveled to a new world or an extremely far away land."

"How did you come here? Surly you would remember traveling a long distance if it is the second reason," Siesta's father inputted helpfully.

Siesta spoke up, "There is a rumor around the academy that Dove was attacked by a dragon that was then summoned here by a noble, dragging her though as well."

Dove nodded, "It sounds like you grandfather and I have something in common, we both rode in on dragons."

"Father," Siesta started to ask, "didn't great-grandfather enshrine his dragon somewhere?"

Siesta's father nodded thoughtfully, "Yes, and I think I have the map somewhere in the attic. Would you like to have the map Miss Dove, as thanks for saving our Siesta?"

Dove was surprised, she had been wondering what 'enshrined' meant and remembering the dragon's tombs back home. "Thank you, yes that should speed things up with the such," she quickly answered.

"Give me a minute, I'll go find it," the man said and walked into the house.

Tina smiled, "While he's doing that, could you help me get the groceries put away?"

Dove smiled back, "Sure."

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Louise was pacing the floor in her room, they had come on this trip to help Dove with her feelings about how the mission had gone and now she had jumped out and ran off somewhere into the town.

Kirche smirked as she watched Louise pace. "Who's going to pay for the floor when you make a trench in it?" She asked, goading Louise a bit.

"Shut up," Louise snapped without stopping.

Kirche sighed, "Seriously Louise, why are you so upset? All Dove did was go exploring."

Louise exploded, "That's the problem! She left! We were going to help her with the issues our failed mission brought up and she just vanished!"

"What were you planning to 'help her with her issues?'" Kirche asked pointedly.

Louise stopped, unsure, "I thought we could all sit down and talk," she said uneasily.

Kirche barked a laugh, "if it was that easy we could have done that back at the school. What she needs is some time far away from things that remind her of the failure and her problems. Her running off is a good thing."

"She could have taken us with her," Louise groaned and returned to pacing.

Speak of the devil, "Hi guys," Dove said as she pushed open the door to their room and leaning in.

"Where did you go?" Louise cried spitting fire, letting all the emotions she had gathered in the last five minutes' overflow.

Dove shrugged as she ignored the overblown display, "I went exploring. Come down stairs, I found something interesting." With that she disappeared again out the door.

Kirche got up and followed her as Louise's temper burned for a few seconds then burnt itself out without a target.

Down stairs in the common room Professor Colbert had commandeered a large table in the middle of the... eating area, judging from the annoyed glances from the other partrons forced to the sides, to hold all of his supplies. Amost everything they could ask for from maps to quills and other tools the younger mages couldn't identify.

"Ah, good to see all of you guys here already," came Colbert's voice from one end of the table. The older man was pouring over a map of the town and surrounding area.

"Tomorrow we are going to start going over the cliff sides," he started pointing to a few points he had marked. "I have reports from commoners that when the legendary dragon landed it was around these places."

Dove smiled and leaned over the corner of the table to hover over his map. "Its actually called the 'wings of the dragon', and it should be around here," Dove said extending her hand to point at a spot in between the places Colbert had marked on his map.

Colbert gaped at her smiling face for a good ten seconds before he collected himself, "Why do you say that? All the research I have gathered - over several months - has lead me to believe that it is somewhere at one of these three marks."

Dove remained smiling, "I asked the person who owned the dragon where his grandfather had enshrined it, he was kind enough to give me a map." Dove laid down an old leather hide map with a flourish.

Colbert spared her an incredulous glance before he devoured the information on the page with his eyes.

While he was doing that Kirche smirked, "How did you find this? I thought you were going to look around, instead you come back with the answers to our little journey?"

Dove shrugged, "Talking to people who live in the area has its advantages, and I got lucky."

Colbert looked up from the page, "this is incredible. Where did you find this?"

"Siesta's family owned it," Dove answered honestly, "they gave it to me as a thank you."

"Siesta?" Colbert asked, confused where he had heard the name before.

"She's a maid at the academy," Dove said simply starting to leave with the intent to claim her room, then stopped herself, "you knew that the dragon was from somewhere in this area yet you didn't think to ask someone who had lived here her entire life?"

Colbert flushed and stammered a response, "I am a mage of a large respected academy. It didn't occur to me to ask a maid about a faraway town."

"Why not?" Dove asked, "wouldn't it be prudent to at least know where your servants come from just in case things like this or worse happen?"

Colbert had the humility to look shamefaced as he thought over her words.

"Anyhow," Dove focused her attention on thoughts apart from how stupid nobles could be, "When are we going to visit this dragon?"

Colbert looked over the map. "It's a fair distance from the town, we should leave tomorrow," he said looking out a window and checking to suns height in the sky.

"Great," Dove said then looked around at the girls. "I'm going to meditate now, if you would like to come with me you can," she offered.

Tabitha nodded, she personally hadn't meditated before but it wasn't too far from what she did on a daily basis. Kirche and Louise smiled, seeing this as their way to support Dove.

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Upstairs, Dove settled on her bed, kneeling with her hands in her lap and eyes closed. On their own beds were Louise, Kirche, and Tabitha.

"When a greybeard meditates on the voice," Dove started to give instruction, "They think of the word in Dovahz'ul that they want to learn. For me, I focus inwards and feel for my own soul. Try focusing on anything you want, but try thinking beyond just a text-book list of associated thoughts, think of what you're focusing on in every situation you can think of."

Kirche closed her eyes and thought of men, the one she would marry.

Louise closed her eyes and thought of the rule of steel.

Tabitha closed her eyes and decided to try something, she focused on her 'soul' like Dove had said,

…

…

it hurt a lot and she quickly turned her thoughts to Dove, and the spells she had seen her use. She wasn't avoiding anything, she just didn't want to talk about it.

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The next morning the group gathered and walked off towards the mountain side.

In the front was Colbert followed by Dove, Guiche, Louise, Kirche, and finally Tabitha. They moved in a Louise bunch, Dove occasionally pushing and pulling Colbert to the side to prevent him from stepping on a rock or in a pot hole as his eyes only occasionally left the map in front of him.

"So Dove," Kirche started, causing Dove to look back, "you said that there were people called the graybeards who taught you how to meditate like that, who were they?"

Dove smiled remembering, "A bunch of stiff old wind bags on top of a nines forsaken mountain," Then she laughed, "and possibly the only mortals to gain any form of control on the magic of the dragons. Very dear friends of mine."

Louise and Tabitha blinked, one confused by why Dove would call her friends 'stiff old wind bags', while the other was thinking about the 'control… the magic of the dragons' part.

Colbert was single mindedly interested in the map and Guiche was too far out of the loop to figure out what they were talking about.

"How?" Tabitha asked.

"'How did they control the magic of a Skyrim dragon?' is that was you mean Tabitha?" Dove asked smiling at the Cerulean.

Tabitha nodded.

"They sat down and thought, meditated on the dragon tongue for years on end, they are called the greybeards because of how long this process takes," Dove said, "I was a natural at the language, that's why I can use magic like that without being old as dirt."

"Dragons have magic where you're from?" Colbert asked.

Dove winced, she had honestly forgot that he was there and not as up to date as the girls were.

"Dragons shout, professor Colbert," she said, "Dovahkiin can spit both fire and ice and a few other things because of her innate magical abilities instead of some physical function, some humans develop the same abilities by learning to understand the dragon language."

"That's very interesting, I would like to learn more about this 'shouting' ability later," Colbert said hopefully.

Dove gave a shaky grin and thankfully he dropped his line of inquiry.

"Humans can shout by meditation?" Tabitha asked remembering that she had meditated on Dove's spells.

"It's possible," Dove said with a shrug, "it just takes a long time."

Tabitha remained thoughtful for a few minutes, "What is easiest?"

Dove smirked, "the easiest shout to learn is Fus, the unstoppable force. Are you going to try to learn it now?"

Tabitha shrugged.

Walking on the group arrived at a cave entrance, Dove still got uncomfortable shivers from these types of environments.

Colbert kept on walking forwards without looking up. No wonder he got lost at sea last time he left on one of these trips.

Fortunately, this cave had little in it aside from stalactites and stalagmites. After half an hour of walking though the cave they came to an opening in the back. Dove jogged a little ahead to be the first out of the cave.

After her eyes adjusted back to the light of the sun she gasped and smiled. The cave had lead out to a hidden valley, the forest reviled was bright, almost neon green. Trees and mossy grass blanketed the area.

"This is beautiful," Dove breathed.

The rest of the group caught up, each giving their own exclamation about how beautiful or sudden the valley was.

Dove only waited for a second or two before darting off like a kid at a sweet roll stand.

"I Louise Francoise Le Blanc De La Valliere," Kirche turned to look at the solemn looking pink mage, "Swear on my family name, to never let Dove talk me into another trip if she keeps on running off on us."

Kirche couldn't help it, she laughed until tears leaked from her eyes.

Dove rushed through the trees, almost stirring up a minor wind storm in her wake. She looked around, her eyes searching for anything that could offer an adventure. Breezing though the dense trees it was a complete surprise when she almost ran right into a completely green cliff side.

Dove blinked, she couldn't have reached the other side of the valley yet, and rock wasn't often a mossy green.

Taking a step back Dove looked around for her group.

They weren't in sight.

Great. 'slowpokes,' she thought snidely, they were never going to make good adventurers if they didn't learn to be faster.

While she waits She will figure out the mystery of the green wall!

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Colbert lead the remaining group though the trees at a sedate pace. The place was rather nice, the mid-morning sun filtered through the leafs giving everything a bright green with golden flecks where the sun still made it though.

Louise was surprisingly silent as she watched the forest for any sign of her wayward familiar. No luck, apart from a few broken branches here and there, there was no sign of Dove.

"YOU WILL NOT BEAT ME ROCK! I WILL HAVE YOUR SEACRITS EVEN IF I MUST BEG SHEOGORATH FOR THE EXPLODING CHEESE TO DO IT! BY THE NINES THAT'S WHERE I HEARD THAT VOICE BEFORE!"

The shout came from up ahead.

Colbert raced ahead. In the revealed clearing was Dove shouting at a large standing rock with strange markings on it that stood to the right of what obviously was a large door. Colbert however only had eyes for the construction beside Dove, a large triangle-peaked building not to unlike a barn covered in moss stood in front of them.

Louise walked to Dove while Professor Colbert went to the large, locked, doors. Dove was bright red looking frazzled from yelling. "Dove?" Louise asked a little concerned.

Dove twisted around, "Louise, the rocks, they mock me!"

Louise blinked, "What?"

Dove started rambling, her face turning pink from lack of air, "I have seen this before, I'm sure of it, the rocks with markings on them need to be twisted to open the door, but I can't find the others, there are almost always three." she continued on as Louise started leaning back from her.

"What is the right direction? You need to twist it in the right direction for the door to open and not to unleash the swarm of poison darts- "

Click

"Kaa!" Dove cried and leapt, flying with her entire body thrown in one directed to roll away from the spot she had been standing.

Colbert looked away from the door where he had used his magic to unlock the padlock on the door, "Are you alright?" He called over worriedly.

Dove turned an even darker red as she glanced from the rock, to Colbert, to the lock on the ground and back. "Peachy," she grumbled. 'when has a door lock ever been like a chest lock?' she wondered internally.

"What was that about?" Louise asked confused.

Dove grumbled something about "too many tombs", and glared at the door.

"Where have you been Dove? It was rather irresponsible of you to run off," Louise chastised bringing up another topic instead.

Dove frowned, "I was exploring when I found this structure, I thought it was like many other doors I had encountered, where there are rocks that need to be properly aligned to open them, and I was trying to open this one. It didn't occur to me that box like thing was a lock."

Louise tried to keep a straight face, and she succeeded, after she laughed for a good ten seconds. "This land might be a little bit different than the one you grew up in, Dove," she finally managed to say.

Dove ignored her and marched up to the door, 'on the other side is a dragon,' she reminded herself, a good fight should make her feel better about the door thing. Unlimbering her bow Dove made sure that her quiver was ready.

"Hey, guys," Dove said looking around, "Same formation as with Fouquet?"

Kirche nodded, Tabitha thought about it and decided it would be a good idea.

"Formation?" Colbert asked, then realized what she meant. "Hold on! The dragon is said to be several decades old, there is little chance that it still being alive."

Dove raised an eyebrow, she didn't know how long dragons lived here, but in Skyrim dragons could live, and hold grudges, for centuries. However, Colbert was an expert on this land so he was probably right.

'Buzz kill', she thought morosely as she waved the others to relax, 'just when I needed one too'.

Pushing the door open Dove moved to the side almost immediately, just in case Colbert was wrong. When no burst of fire was immediately apparent Dove relaxed just a little.

"What is that?" Guiche questioned as the rest of them moved in and beheld probably the strangest thing they had seen so far in their short lives.

Dove wasn't impressed, more confused, if that thing was supposed to be some kind of dragon then she was sure that Akotosh would have put it out of its misery long ago. The body was pitifully short, the wings didn't even seem capable of flapping, the scales she could see were large and strangely attached instead of forming ridges over each other and were was its mouth?

There was no way this thing was related to a dragon like her.

Dove frowned and shook her head, dispelling the thoughts.

This thing looked a little like the staff of destruction to be honest only much larger. Suddenly remembering that strange… thing Dove got an idea and marched up to the object. Ignoring the others startled words Dove walked around to the tail and when she was out of sight placed her hand on the tail.

She had never noticed it before, but her hand started to glow ever so slightly when she did that.

Dove smirked; it was just like the staff of Destruction, the LAW.

'The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range fighter aircraft, manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945.'

She had no idea what a few of the words meant, but she somehow she knew she could suddenly understand exactly what this thing was and how to use it.

"It's not a dragon," She called to the surprised mages, "it's not even alive. Instead it is something rather cool, and made by people."

* * *

 **So ya, I had a 'side quest' that might not count as a side quest because it was in the cannon story.**

 **I'm actually thinking of a chapter where we visit Kirche's family but I haven't found anything on them and they haven't been in the anime as far as I have watched.**

 **shoot me so PMs or Reviews if you now more about them.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Today I'm not going to have any funny things to say.**

 **Familiar of Familiar belongs to another person and Skyrim belongs to yet another person**

 **did you know there are gummy bears that have been likened until hospital grade laxatives?**

* * *

 **Shikkokuakushintei: thanks, I seem to be getting a lot of advice for no lemons but lots of brutal Wards death so it seems like I'm going to be M rated anyway.**

 **kyoskuke-date-the soultaker: I think it was bold of Scarron to make that life choice. It just burned my retina little.**

 **helkil: maybe. (: The light nudity and getting to second base sound like a good idea for lemons, aren't those called limes? and people still want me to slice Wardes with a sword made of salt.**

 **Arngeirr: thanks for you input. I'm getting the feeling that people would like my story to be M.**

 **BlackKitsune101: Thank you, Sometimes people need to pick up something new, I'm glad that my writing style was that for you. Alduin would make a great familiar once he stopped trying to eat you.**

 **Guest: Yup, CHEESE!**

 **redburningdragon: so... is there a fall out Skyrim cross over out there? since they are from the same people. I don't think I need help thinking up ways to kill Wardes, I just go to the little dark spot in my head for advice, thanks anyway. The thing about lemons is that a large part of FOZ is run on romance and relationships... I feel like I'm leaving something out if I say "no lemons". If, I'm remembering correctly, Dove's hair is brown with blond streaks.**

 **Wiereird: Thank you for helping me grow as a writer by arguing with me. I have to say this is one of my favoret review for how much it made me think. (with still being relatively short).**

 **dovgrahdeen: realistically I don't think any nobles in the time period Foz was based off of thought of things like that. I'm debating that now, she has her own way to fly yet if she doesn't go as a human then she wouldn't use the ***** she gets in the next chapter.**

 **Guest McGuest:... YOU ARE A GENIUS! I can see it now, Saito completely lost somewhere in Skyrim, the question now is: where? You have made me so happy.**

 **Diggin: That is some good advice. Cheese is basicly a requirement for having Sheogorath visit your story, it keeps his from plaguing me. Dove doesn't exactly talk about things with people, she tends to keep things to herself, the question now is how her potion affects the rest.**

 **Akshka: dagon might not be the right chose, he hasn't raped anyone in my story, just hurt her mentally, and betray his country, and implied that he has mentally destroyed other people, maybe dagon would be the right place for him.**

 **Properdecay: I might have limes but I'm basically convinced that I should go up to M for future battles.**

 **perfectshade: thanks. well she is the dragon born, she gets asked to take care of everything in the entire realm- I GET IT, YOU'RE A COMPLETE PANSY BUT DELIVER YOUR OWN DANG LOVE LETTERS! I loved writing Dove as a bit of a... air head? not the right word, distracted by shinny type person, I feel like that's when she can be the most open.**

 **I thought the cave might have uncomfortable flash backs, nothing to harmful but just... ya, uncomfortable. On a non-life risking adventure Dove can cut loose and enjoy herself more so that's why she just ran around like a dog in a open field. She is aware the runes do something, she just doesn't know what. Trenches work when they are outside and around your house, not in your bed room.**

 **GGFBank: I know, he just shows up any where he wants to, Hopefully she sticks to the background form now on.**

 **Guest: thanks for your input.**

 **The Communist Banana: please read on.**

 **Someone: well, the next chapter is somewhere in the produce department, it most certainly is not here.**

 **ZeroExia: Thank you, glade to hear I'm now binge worthy.**

 **Guest: I understand where you're coming from with Dove knowing about earth tools, it's just that the runes give her the ability to use them if they are weapons, that's how they work in cannon so I didn't change it.**

* * *

The group gathered back at the inn after securing the air ship. Dove was dodging questions from Colbert about how she knew anything about what the wings of the dragon. Honestly she could only guess so she avoided him by starting an early mediation.

Respecting her private moment, Colbert had left. Dove breathed deeply trying to find the bottom of this mystery. She started by, remembering the strange words that had come to her when she had come into contact with the vessel and dissecting them. 'Mitsubishi, Japanese Navy, 1940 to 1945,' these words were what she had gotten from touching the 'aircraft'.

The first was a complete blank, maybe a name, like a store or a person, a place where these aircrafts were sold? Next was a military, a major consumer of the stores wares? The final point was some kind of time stamp.

Dove couldn't think of any time when she had heard of these things in Skyrim and the story about the dragon appearing suggested that it didn't come from Halkeginia.

So Dove is sure that she has found evidence of the multi-verse.

Or at least another world, apart from Nirn and the Daedric realms.

The sound of the door opening interrupted Dove's awe struck thoughts a little as Tabitha moved into the room and towards the bed. Sitting down with her legs folded under her like how Dove had showed them.

"Teach me to shout?"

Dove opened her eyes, "what?" she had been in an almost hypnotic state when Tabitha had interrupted her and needed reassurance that she had heard correctly.

"Please teach me to shout," Tabitha said again.

Dove frowned, "are you sure? It could take years to learn even the most basic of shouts and they are very dangerous spells that shouldn't be tossed around even if you know them. Do you have the time to learn?" she didn't doubt Tabitha had the self-control to use this skill properly, just, was she willing to put the extensive amount of time into learning?

Tabitha nodded, the strength this type of spells gave might give her enough of an edge to protect her mother against the stronger mages her uncle has at his disposal. "I need it," she said simply.

Dove sighed, "I guess I can add you to my list of students, seeing how it only has Louise on it for now."

Speaking of Louise, she smirked. Hope she wasn't doing something wrong with slipping that potion in her drink.

She never had any problems with it herself, but that could be because of the fact that she had been born with magicka instead of having it put into her body.

Tabitha must have noticed something because she commented on it, "scary smile."

Dove allowed the smirk she had fade, "sorry, I was just thinking about a little test I'm running on Louise."

Tabitha raised an eyebrow, "Dangerous?"

Dove shook her head, "I don't think so, when I fed the same thing to some pigs they certainly didn't complain."

Tabitha resolved to keep an eye on Louise just in case.

"So," Dove sighed, "learning the voice, part one; FUS"

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Down stairs Louise was wondering what was wrong with her drink: it was green. She had asked for and been delighted when they had orange juice. However, she knew that orange juice wasn't green.

Louise almost decided to pour it out when she heard a waitress talk about the strange girl with the noble party visiting the kitchen and mixing drinks.

This left Louise with a question; to drink, or not to drink.

Dove was almost always deadly serious when she was at the academy, but since coming on this trip she had started acting like a child on a constant, minor sugar high. The problem was that if she was in her serious state then there would be a very good reason for adding something to her drink but if she was still on the sugar/adrenaline high then this could be the start of a very bad prank.

She spent most of the afternoon just looking at the drink, there wasn't anything floating in it so it might just be a color change to make her think that Dove had done something to it. Louise shook her head; she was starting to think in circles.

Deciding to trust Dove, Louise drank.

Dove shivered, 'something good just happened,' she thought smiling and feeling so clever before returning to the lesson.

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The next morning the group split so that Colbert can focus on getting the wings back to the academy and they could prepare a spot for the wings arrival in the next day or so.

Arriving back Dove left the group taking care of the horses to find something to mark a corner for the aircraft.

Louise had been feeling sick ever since she woke up that morning and the ride back certainly wasn't helping. The nausea was slowly twisting her stomach around a ball of string.

By the time they arrived at the school she decided that it must have been the drink Dove had tampered with and followed her as Dove walked off to find a spot while the others took care of the horses.

In a backed up corner of the field, Dove was placing chairs for markers.

"What was in the drink?" Louise asked, cutting to the case.

"Jazbay berries and red mountain flowers," Dove answered calmly, "with a bit of magicka added in. All the ingredients to make a weak Fortify Magicka potion."

Louise blinked, "what is a fortify magicka potion?"

Dove smiled, "my kind of magic couldn't be taught to others because they don't have the same kind of magic energy that I have; Magicka."

"Then why did you offer to teach me?" Louise asked, she had a suspicion that Dove had forgotten about her promise to teach her.

"I am going to teach you." Dove said as if reading her mind.

"I was just making sure that you don't outright die when I gave you the potion that would allow me to teach you," Dove waved off calmly, "the first potion I was thinking about making was a magicka restoration potion, but when I fed that to an animal to test…" Dove snorted in memory.

Louise shivered, her mind creating horrible images. "I instead," Dove continued, "made the fortify potion and this time the chipmunk didn't change too much." Louise gaped and Dove quickly explained, "I meant it changed the way I wanted it to instead of in unexpected ways," Dove defended her decision.

"Why did you do that?" Louise growled softly looking down, "I could have gotten hurt, I seeking you out because I'm in pain. Not a lot of pain, but enough that I'm scared and you go and admit something happened to your test subjects?"

Louise breathed out and felt hot tears prickle in her eyes.

The world went dark for Louise and she blinked in surprise. The dark was cloth, Doves shoulder and she bent down and hugged Louise. "I'm sorry," Dove said softly, "I didn't mean for my joking around to hurt you."

Louise rapidly blinked as she tried to force the tears down. "What happened to the second chipmunk? Did it survive?"

Dove sighed and pulled away to hold Louise at arm's length, "Yes, I was joking about it changing around so much. The effects of the potion on creatures in this land are very different then in my home, instead of increasing the amount of magicka we can handle, it gives people a jump start of their own magicka supply. The pain should be gone by tomorrow"

Louise frowned and looked Dove directly in the face, "that means?"

Dove smiled, "that means I can finally teach you some beginner spells."

Louise gaped for a few seconds then broke into a ridiculously big grin.

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The group came together for their usual mediations later that afternoon. Kirche arrived first, "Hey Kirche, I have a question for you," Dove said gravely from where she was leaning against the beds backboard when she arrived.

Kirche moved to the bed and sat down on the end facing Dove, "What is it Dove?" Kirche asked curious.

"I have had both Tabitha and Louise ask me to teach them magic from my homeland," Dove said, "I want to know if you would be interested in learning any of my skills as well."

Kirche blinked, "I can see Louise asking you for teaching, but why did Tabitha ask?"

Dove shrugged, "all she said was that she needed it." She looked curiously at the sudden change in Kirche's sudden change in demeanor. "Are you alright?" Dove asked.

Kirche upon hearing her reason suddenly remembered when she and Louise have visited the cerulean's home. "Yes," Kirche said quickly at Doves question.

"Are you sure?" Dove questioned, "I get the feeling there is something I should know."

"Ask Tabitha about it, I don't feel right telling you without her permission," Kirche answered.

Dove filled that away for later pondering. "Okay, we have gotten off track enough," Dove said returning to her original question, "would you like to learn from me? I'm planning on turning this time into teaching time anyways and thought you might like to learn."

Kirche tilted her head, "I don't know, I'm a fire mage and I don't think any of the magic I've seen you use would work for me."

Dove smirked, "My magic isn't separated into elements like lightning and ice, they are separated into schools. What I can teach you is how to cast fire without a wand, or ice, or why not lightning."

Kirche paused, thinking about it. "That would be interesting," she conceded, "something to write home about for sure."

"Where is home or you?" Dove asked, "Sorry for going off topic again, but I'm curious, I know so little about the world I'm possibly stuck in."

Kirche waved her hand dismissively. "It's fine, I live across the Germainian/Tristian boarder. Directly across from Louise's family."

"Making the two of you the first to go to war against each other should tensions become strained," Dove deduced.

Kirche smirked, "yup."

"Okay, but what is it like living where you grew up?" Dove asked, "I honestly could care less about the political boundaries, what is the land and people like?"

Kirche smiled, "Its a rather nice area, green most of the year with mild weather. The people are nice, but we live on a boarder, we are rather warrying of others who live on the other side."

"I see," Dove said "what is your family like?"

Kirche's smile became a little strained, "not the best, I'm rebellious and came here mostly to escape the guy they wanted me to marry."

Dove snorted, "what is it with male nobles and getting married in school? seriously, the guys I have met are either pedophiles, traitors or really old."

Kirche Laughed, holding her head in her hands as chuckles racked her body. "I can see how you might get that idea, but there are many good guys in the noble ranks."

"Really? Because I honestly think they classify as an endangered species," Dove pouted, "I'm beginning to think that noble girls would make better spouses then guys."

Kirche ginned in way that could only be called maniacal, "really?"

Dove mentally face palmed, she really shouldn't have said that out loud.

"So magic, interested?"

Kirche smiled letting Dove think this topic was dropped for now, "I guess, you mentioned a school of destruction? What can I learn from that?"

Dove shrugged, "The ability to throw fire, lightning, and ice from your fingertips, just what most people in Skyrim learn as basic abilities."

Kirche rolled her eyes, "only you can call something as incredible and powerful as that 'basic abilities'."

Dove spent the next five minutes introducing the basics of destruction magic while they waited for the others to arrive.

Louise and Tabitha arrived within seconds of each other to see Dove holding a flame over her hand. "-and that is how magicka is used."

"I think I got half of that," Kirche, groaned.

"Hem hem," Louise coughed.

"Oh, Hi Louise, hi Tabitha," Dove said waving them over.

"So Kirche, I can't teach you anything practical until you drink a potion to give you a Magicka pool within yourself first," Dove lectured, "I should have another made by the end of the day if you want to get that part over with as soon as possible."

"Thanks Dove," Kirche said considering.

Louise raised an eyebrow, "you're going to teach Kirche magic?"

Dove shrugged, "Tabitha asked to learn the thu'um despite the years it would take, I'm going to be teaching you magicka. It felt right to offer it to Kirche as well."

Louise sighed, "I guess so."

Dove turned to Tabitha, "For you I want you to continue where we left off, FUS, what does it mean, how does it affect us. I would like you and Kirche here to have a conversation every few minutes on what you're thinking."

Tabitha remained silent for a good ten seconds, not glaring, but not moving her unreadable expression from Dove before nodding reluctantly.

"Kirche," Dove said, "I want you to try and think of all the uses you can for fire, ice and lightning. These creativity exercises should help you learn quickly when I give you the potion."

Kirche nodded and stood to pull Tabitha over to a corner of the bed to begin mediation.

"Louise," Dove turned to her last student, "since you are the only one who has taken the potion, we will start with trying to give physical form to your magicka, we should go outside for this."

Louise almost couldn't contain her joy at performing magic.

Outside the two girls came to one of the open spaces in the back. Louise saw that Dove had set up several barrels. "Today," Dove started academically, "We will be getting a feel for you magicka reserve."

"How?" Louise asked, her other teachers had done something similar when she had started learning from her family. They had an almost mediation like exercise where they controlled their breathing to 'get in touch' with their magic until it became instinctive, Louise hadn't been able to even do that.

"By bowing things up," Dove said with a smile and gesturing at the barrels.

Louise blinked and looked at Dove in confusion, Dove's grin grew larger.

"The three basic spells, Fire, Lightning, and ice are instinctive," Dove explained, "you just need to flex it like a muscle."

"How?"

Dove smiled, "just push your hand forward and feel for the fire."

Louise frowned and stretched her hand forward, trying to feel the fire.

Pain lanced from her torso and up though her arm. Louise gasped and jerked her hand away from where she had aimed, clutching it to her chest.

"hurts the first time," Dove said unconcernedly.

Louise gaped at her, "you knew it was going to burn?" she growled.

"Nothing good in life comes without pain and hard work," Dove said passionately watching for Louise's reaction.

Louise looked at Dove as if she was stupid, "I know things don't come easily, but they shouldn't come with pain, if they do then you're doing something wrong."

"But what is pain?" Dove asked, "why do you feel it?"

Louise sighed and spoke like she was talking to a child, "pain is when you get damaged, when you get hurt and you need to stop when that happens."

Dove laughed, "Pain is temporary, success is forever. When you feel pain you need to decide if it was a good pain or if it is a bad pain."

Louise frowned, "that doesn't make sense, Pain is bad no matter when you get it."

Dove sighed. 'privileged, pampered, stupid noble children,' Dove groused within the privacy of her mind. "Growing pains are natural and expected," Dove growled, "like monthly bleeding, if you don't have them then people should be worried. This," Dove grabbed Louise's arm with a firm grip and her slightly tender arm, "is our magicka growth pain."

"But it hurts," Louise moaned as she pulled her arm back and rubbed it.

"Flex the muscle," Dove growled, "you need to grow them."

Louise flexed her hands, it still stung but she should be able to use her new Magicka supply. Breathing deeply, she tried again.

The feeling of fire burned its way into her arms again but it didn't seem as bad as before. This time there was an actual burst of flame licking the air in front of her fingers.

"Didn't hurt as much this time right?" Dove asked still hiding the concern she had at hurting Louise.

Louise shook her head. "It was better, but it still hurt," she said calmly, then a grin split her face and she laughed at the sky, "I'M A MAGE!"

Dove smiled at the exuberant girl as she laughed her success to the sky.

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Osmond stood in his office overlooking the courtyard. He had gone there to investigate a loud shout of joy, looking down he saw two girls, they looked like Dove and Louise but he couldn't be sure all the way up in his office since his eyesight had gone down in recent years.

'There,' he thought as one of the figures moved and there was a small, almost most unnoticeable burst of light from the smaller girl's fingers. At least he thought it was her fingers, if it wasn't Louise and Dove then it was someone with an exceptionally small wand.

But if it was Louise… then that would have to mean that Doves potion was working.

Osmond smiled, a new group of mages might be born, ones that didn't need wands to be powerful.

Dove and Louise spent an hour or two slowly building up the size and heat of her flames, by the end of the day she had managed to leave a scorch mark on one of the barrels put up for her from over ten paces away.

Dove followed a very happy Louise as she bounced down the halls. Her joy at actually casting a spell, even if it was Kirche's spell, was literally infectious as people who passed them by often found themselves incapable of not grinning at the adorable girl.

As they passed the open door to the eating hall a voice called out to Dove, stopping the group.

"Dove, the headmaster wants to talk to you." Dove turned to look at the teacher who had called to them.

"Thank you professor," Dove said with a small nod, "I will go right away."

The professor nodded back and went back to whatever he had been doing.

Louise's excitement was dimmed a little with the news that Dove would leave, she wanted to spend the day with her teacher to celebrate her magicka.

Catching on to Louise's feelings Dove sighed, "Louie, I will be back soon, we can party afterwards okay?"

Louise perked up, "alright," she said smiling, "I'll see you later then." And bounced off to show Kirche her new skill.

Dove sighed, 'Osmond must have seen us training. Bet he's wondering what it was.'

Her thoughts accompanied her up the tower; confusion about the summons, hope that this was about her schooling, and worry. She might not have thought completely though what the affects her potion would have on the daily lives of the country.

As she started up the stairs she felt like the time she had been climbing one of the many mountains in Skyrim and hadn't seen the dragon until its tail had close lined her; completely unprepared.

'It all come backs down to that theological talk we had,' Dove decided, 'if everyone has magic, or magicka, then who would be noble? Who would lead?'

Dove sighed just outside of the door to the headmaster's office, her thoughts running into drastic possibilities, 'What if this works for 'commoners'? Did I just sow the seeds of a revolution? Would it be bad if it does?'

Thankfully there wasn't a sudden explosion of commoners creating anarchy because of the potion she had created yesterday. Instead, old Osmond had asked her an expected question, "was that Louise and you outside?"

Dove nodded and Osmond sighed in relief. "I see, so the potion you were talking about has worked, you have given her the ability to use magic."

Dove frowned, "the ability to use magic is already within her," Dove said plainly, "I gave her the ability to use magicka."

Osmond quickly nodded. "I know I know, slip of the tongue between two like terms," he reassured.

Dove nodded, "understandable."

"How long until you can make more?" Osmond asked with a searching look.

Dove frowned at this, "I thought this was just some potion to help Louise. Why would you want some?"

Osmond immediately shook his head, "I don't want any for myself Dove De La Bosquet."

Dove stiffened at her noble title, 'something serious is happening,' a little analytical voice in her head told her.

Osmond leaned over his table. "Albion has fallen," he declared in a serious voice, "we may very well be next, in fact, it hasn't been publicly declared but I have received word from the palace that the new 'state of Reconquista' has declared war on us after we refused their unconditional surrender envoy."

Dove froze thinking, 'Reconquista, the same group that Wardes is a part of.' she wanted a piece of his flesh so this war might get her close to him. She shook her head to dispel the anger simmering in her gut.

"What does this have to do with my potion?" she asked worriedly giving Osmond the same searching look she had received a little earlier.

Osmond sighed, "I want to present it to the palace as a booster, something that can increase the mages abilities to momentous proportions. Something that can help us turn dot mages into triangle or square class in terms of power."

"An easy way out of the war, just crush you opponent with magic," Dove scoffed sitting back.

"In the process saving hundreds of lives," Osmond argued.

"By killing possibly thousands of theirs," Dove shot back. Dove sighed at the surprised look on Osmond's face, "the point is mute anyway since the drinkers need training in the use of magicka, you can't become a master in a few hours."

"As much as I push complete understanding of the academic process," Osmond started.

"It won't be enough for the new recruits to understand the fundamentals and could get them hurt with over confidence," Dove cut the headmaster off. "I'm sorry Osmond," she said in a slightly softer voice, "I don't mean to offend you but I don't think anyone can learn enough of the required material to use Magicka effectively in this conflict."

Osmond sighed. "Could I at least get the recipe for the potion? If I present that at least to the palace, then we can tell them it might be possible later on when we get the teaching down."

Dove shook her head, "that would give them a false sense of hope and right now they need to be focused on the war."

Osmond could see her point, "why are you so protective of this potion? This could solve so many of the country's problems."

"And it could create many more. I'm concerned about shifting the land too much too quickly," Dove muttered not meeting Osmond's look.

Osmond had read about what happened in Germania when sudden power shifts around, the gory results spoke for themselves. Thinking about that happening here put a damper on his desire to use her potion, he accepted her reason without much complaint.

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Dove moved quickly down the halls, the people in-between her and her room either jumped out of her way or got ran over. Pulling open the door to her room she moved in as soon as there was enough room to squish her body though and slid to the ground.

A new war, her thoughts raced as she considered how things could turn out. According to Louise and by extension Wardes, Reconquista had a goal of basically world domination, 'why does that always happen when I'm around,' and now that Albion was taken they would be moving on to the next country.

They had already demanded unconditional surrender according to Osmond and then instantly moved to war at its refusal. The 'next country was apparently Tristian

These type of people were the all or nothing type they wouldn't stop until they got their goals so there most likely wasn't some way to end this peacefully, she thought rubbing her head.

Dove was suddenly thrust forwards from her spot on the ground as someone tried to push her door open. "DOVE!" shouted Louise's anxious voice from the other side.

Dove rubbed at the back of her head as it had received a hard knock from the entry attempt.

"Ow, what is it Louise?" Dove called although she was reasonably sure what had Louise so nervous.

"Albion has declared WAR on Tristian!"

'Knew it,' "I know," Dove stated. Getting up Dove pulled the door open and took in Louise's appearance. The happy glow from only ten minutes ago was gone and she looked like she was trembling just a little.

"How did you know?" Louise asked, temporarily surprised out of her panic by the calm statement from her familiar.

"Osmond wanted me to make the Fortify Magicka potion for the army, as a way to increase their skills. I turned him down," Dove said calmly.

"What? Why?" Louise gaped, if the potion could give a zero talent like her WANDLESS powers then surly it would be invaluable to the army.

"It would be too much for the group to handle," Dove said simply and then raised a hand to silence Louise's words before they started. "There isn't enough time to train people in the use of Magicka, if they had a few months to a year then they would be competent enough to be loosed on a battle field, without that time then they would just be idiots literally playing with fire."

"But mages have years of studying and using magic in combat situations," Louise pointed out rather loudly.

"This isn't Magic," Dove stated, "It's magicKA."

Louise rolled her eyes, "What's the difference."

"Everything!" Dove snapped leaning down to face level with Louise.

Louise, for her part, leaned back as she was confronted by Dove's burning golden eyes.

"Magicka is the power of the nine divines, not some pitiful little upstart human playing with things he doesn't understand," Dove growled holding Louise's gaze. The power and pure anger her gaze invoked caused her trembling to increase.

Dove stood up, strode to the bed and sat down with her head in her hands. "I'm sorry Louise," she said into her palms without looking at the frightened girl, "I'm not mad at you and I shouldn't have lost my temper."

Louise gulped, trying to calm down fully, "It's alright," she eventually managed, "there is a meeting later tonight with the rest of the students and teachers to discuss current events. As a student that means you should come as well."

Dove sighed, "I will be there."

* * *

 **I literally just got an image in my head of the french revolution in FOZ.**

 **can't say if I would be happy or horrified if Dove's potion causes something like that.**


	23. Chapter 23

**The coin on the string, hypnotism thing didn't work**

 **Familiar of Zero still doesn't belong to me**

 **next time, when I go after the rights to Skyrim I'm going to have to try adding something to their drinks before I try to steal the copyright**

* * *

 **Shikkokuakushintei: I'm glad you noticed, it might be intentional, or I might have just let my finger type whatever they felt like. I don't think that teaching the thu'um to people apart from nords is imposible, just no one has the dedication of a nord to follow though.**

 **alexkehling: yes, KA, this KA is to show that the source of power is from the divine instead of some long dead guy. I know he doesn't understand it because he hasn't ever heard of magicka before, it needs time for him to be exposed to it to properly understand.**

 **Touhou is Life: yes Ka, this KA is to... just read the post above.**

 **RedBurningDragon:... sorry, I don't know who Zelretch is but your description of him and his abilities are already scaring me if those two meet. ya, she is rather curious. I think the glow in FOZ was because Saito was touching the gunship instead of the tools so that he knew how to fix the ship.**

 **Dovgrahdeen: I was thinking of the commoners rebelling against the nobles instead of a group of nobles repelling against the crown. Either group would be interesting and scary.**

 **helkil: I'm not planning a tattoo for anyone, personally if I had to get one I've decided on a tribal Navi that I saw on Deviantart because I'm a nerd and also really like the artistic tribal look. Burning will be included in the battle scenes, patience.**

 **perfectshade: ya, I think Sheogorath invented those gummies. Thanks, I just thought about a volcanic glass sword and asked, "What can make this hurt more?" Salt came to mind. Thanks, whimsical is just the word I couldn't think of last time, it totally works for her personality. I thought that her nonchalance at the multi-verse is just who she is.**

 **Not all nobles are a-holes, just oblivious to the working class and that ticks Dove off. learning magicka is little like drilling in a military like sense to me, so that kind of attitude poked though here and there. She would probably need the potion anyway but shes setting her sights high on the list of powerful magicaka. I honestly was writing Dove getting to the room with Osmond and suddenly sat upright and said, "crap, I didn't think about that," when I thought about who would get the potion and what it would mean.**

 **The entire debate about what makes a noble from before will now be playing a huge part of what happens now, one good thing is that they need Dove to properly make the potion so that should keep the fighting down for a while. Henrietta is in my opinion, the kind of person who would work with this change and hopefully save her kingdom from rebellion or civil war.**

 **Her atitude has grown, but that could be because I'm getting better at writing her, I just let my fingers move on a key board and see what comes out. Magic training has almost no** **parallels** **to Magicka training so Dove was afraid of the worst case.**

 **Akshka: Oh, the church would most certainly try to kill Dove for no other reason than her ears, and heathen** **disbelief** **in Brimir, and maybe for a potion that can grant magic/ka. stepping on gods turf so to speak.**

 **Badical Brainsto: I don't know, I feel bad about stealing his spot for Dove, I honestly do, so he might get back into things that way. Inter, dimensional, trade... my head hurts and it's all your fault :P.**

 **Guest: You're welcome, I value all reviews that have something constructive to say. Nirn** **technically** **isn't connected to FOZ, it was temporarily connected by Sheogorath to force Dove into the world. There will be other artifacts from Nirn.**

 **Guest: that is an interesting question, if society is insane than who would be the only 'sane' person? I'm going to leave as many people personalities alone as long as I can because they wouldn't normally change unless Dove effects them, the ripple effect rearing it's head.**

 **There might be limes, maybe not in that situation, but there might.**

 **Peon: thank you for your input. Could you please not swear next time?**

* * *

"There is no doubt that the battle with Albion or rather, Reconquista is unavoidable now," Osmond announced to the assembled mages.

All the students and teachers had assembled together in the same room where the banquet after Fouquet's capture had been held. The teachers were lined up in a group on a section of differently colored tile in front of the students with Osmond at their center.

Dove stood, blending into the students dressed in first year brown. "As of today the Tristian institute of magic is to be closed for the unforeseeable future," Osmond continued gravely, "the army, commanded by Princess Henrietta, is being reorganized in the defense of our land. All third year and above students are encouraged to enlist."

Dove snorted, she understood the need for solders, and Nordic culture encouraged everyone including the young to learn combat skills, but these mages weren't suited for combat. There wasn't a single student in the room who was combat ready in her opinion.

As if to prove her right there was a minor burst of noise after Osmond finished talking as the _children_ started to complain about having to go home.

"So Dove," Kirche asked coming over to her with Tabitha and Louise trailing behind, "where are you going?"

Dove frowned, "I don't know, I live at the academy so if it closes then technically that would evict me from my home."

Kirche frowned, "Well that won't work." She made a grab at the other two and pulled the entire group into a small huddle to the side of the main group, "with you being Louise's familiar then normally I think that you should go with Louise," Kirche continued, "but she." Kirche nodded for Louise to continue.

"I plan on enlisting," Louise stated proudly.

Dove frowned, "why? What are your reasons for putting your life on the line?"

Louise swallowed at Dove's expression, "I… I know it would be hard, and I know that you only taught me for one day, but I feel the need to help."

Dove rolled her eyes at Louise's pleading look. "Not one word of that halfhearted babble is a good reason to fight," she said shooting down Louise's pleading face like a dragon that got caught in her voice.

Louise looked down, eyes shadowed and after a moment mumbled something to the ground.

"What was that?" Dove asked, her gaze trying to pierce the curtain of bangs obscuring Louise's face.

"I want to protect my friend," Louise said a little louder actually looking up as she did.

Dove's grin grew to look like an insane person, "that is all you needed to say." She paused tilting her head, "I guess Kirche here is right," she smirked at the red head while musing, "as a familiar I'll go with you."

Louise smiled at the elf, glad she would be coming with.

"Dove may I have a moment of your time?" a voice from outside the group interrupted any farther topics. Looking out, the group saw that Professor Colbert had approached them.

Dove tilted her head, "can I help you Professor?"

Colbert nodded, "you are a friend of the maid Siesta, that's how you found the map to the wings of the dragon, right?"

Dove nodded, "yes, although you should have asked her yourself since it was obvious that she would most likely know about it growing up in the area." She felt that was a major over sight with the nobility that he hadn't thought to ask a commoner.

Colbert sighed, he had the grace to feel ashamed at her point. "I know, I'm sorry for not looking into it. But she isn't here right now and I was wondering if she had told you of the… crafts rider."

Dove nodded, "It was her… great grandfather I think, after he enshrined the dragon he got married to a local girl and started Siesta's family."

"I was wondering if she knew where he was buried, did she happen to tell you?" Colbert asked looking interested.

Dove frowned, "no, I don't know where he was buried. Why do you ask?"

"I'm curious, do you think that whatever land he came from would burry something of their dead with their weapons?" Colbert asked.

"Now you're just getting ridiculous," Dove stated, "I have no idea, why are you asking me something like that? If you truly want to know then you should have asked her when she was working under this roof, now you will just have to wait for her to come back."

Colbert looked abashed, "Sorry, it's just that you came from a far off land and this pilot came from a far off land. I was hoping you could help me understand their practices from an outsider's point of view."

Dove sighed, "what outsiders point of view? We have no way of knowing if his culture was anything like mine or yours, so any strange burial rituals they might have would make about as much sense to me as they do to you. Did you discover something to suggest that they do have such rituals?" The last question was just out of idle curiosity but it would be nice to find out how they got on this strange topic.

Colbert nodded, "I found some strange body or full set of armor within the Dragon, I was thinking that maybe upon his death his body was placed within the dragon."

This was certainly interesting, "strange how?" Dove asked moving out of the small group.

"Well," Colbert started, "you know how everything on the dragon looks very smooth and almost seamless?"

Dove nodded.

"Well, this armor looks jagged, and is covered in what looks like scales and iron wrappings. The reason I asked you about it is because the helm looks like the muzzle of a Sky's rim dragon. On top of it all the armor looks decidedly feminine so I was confused as to if Siesta's ancestor was male or female."

Dove blinked in confusion, 'helm like the muzzle of a Sky's rim Dragon, Feminine?' "Can I see this armor?" she asked politely.

Colbert perked up, he loved people showing an interest in his work, "Sure, I have it down in my Study."

Excusing herself from the other girls Dove followed Colbert out.

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Colbert lead the way down the stairs and though the halls to his study along the way he kept up a constant stream of thoughts and observations had made so far about the armor. Dove was thinking to herself and generally ignoring Colbert's ramblings.

Colbert move ahead to push the door open her the two of them.

However, Dove stopped just inside the door preventing him from following her.

"Hei lost gaav wah kos draaf zey," Dove breathed.

Laid out on the table was a suit of armor just like Colbert had described, snout like helm, jagged, scale with iron wrappings. There were a few things he left out like the paladins were spiked and there seemed to be a short knee length long sleeved under dress made out of what looked like lizard scales.

The 'plates' of scales were a pale gray color; she could instantly see why Colbert had called if feminine since there were two larger plates where the breasts of a woman would go. There were other plates that gave the impression of strength as well, the 'belly' was segmented like muscles made out of plates.

The appendages were spiked as if the armor's creator wanted to keep the scaled appearance natural while allowing humans to wear it. The neck guards had metal 'teeth' pointing up from the collar just like a dragon back home would. Altogether, the armor made the wearer look like a cross between a human and a dragon.

The true cross between a humanoid and a dragon could only stare at it in shock.

Colbert moved into the room, finally able to semi politely push his way in. "Fascinating construction, isn't it?" he asked adjusting his spectacles and misinterpreting Dove's silent shock.

"The materials appear to all be almost completely natural, if it wasn't for the Iron boarder on some pieces I would have thought I had stumbled on some unknown creature, notice that this pale matirail is actually some kind of scale instead of metal," Colbert said with a chuckle, "it looks like-"

"Dragons scale armor," Dove interrupted. Colbert blinked and shot a surprised look at his companion. Dove continued, "Dragonscale armor, weighing about fifty pounds less then Dragonbone armor qualifying it for the 'light' armor class made from ten dragons scales eight strips of leather four leather squares and five iron ingots."

"You sound certain about that," Colbert said speaking quietly, feeling confusion at how she could know this but also like he was somehow intruding on something important.

"I made it back in Skyrim," Dove said numbly, "this is too strange for me."

Colbert frowned, "what do you mean 'you made it'? I found this inside of the Wings of the Dragon, maybe so kind of armor for the rider?"

Dove walked forwards until she was standing at the top of the table above the helm. "I made this armor," Dove said plainly, "I left it in my house back in Whiterun hold locked in a chest. How did it get here?"

Colbert decided to humor her, "Alright, let's say it is yours, you should be able to get it on and off rather quickly, spatially since you also claim to have made it." He couldn't figure how to do it himself despite handling the armor for an hour before trying to find Dove.

He raised his hands at the glare she shot him. "I'm sorry for being skeptical," he said soothingly, "it's just sounds rather impossible for this to be yours."

"I have no idea," Dove growled, she picked up the helm, "Just to prove it, I will put the armor on."

Colbert moved to assist her but she waved him off, "the armor was designed to be easy to put on and take off if you know the trick."

Dove grabbed the clasps and started opening the back of the armor only to pause and look up at Colbert. "I'm going to have to take off my dress to get this on," she said with an embarrassed, flushed, look.

Colbert took the hint and turned around.

Dove went back to the and put it on completely, everything still fit like the last time she had worn it. Forgetting temporarily that it just being there in the first place was something that shouldn't have happened, the fit was a little creepy. The size was somehow off. She had actually grown a little to reach what would most likely be her adult height since the last time she had worn this armor, last time she checked armor doesn't grow with you.

"I'm done," she said to let Colbert know.

Colbert turned around, Dove looked very nice in the armor, it hugged her figure enough to let you know she was female without losing protection in battle.

During Colbert's days in the army he had seen many different types of armor used by different knights and common swordsman. This kind was, despite the spikes, rather sleek without extra bulk and unnecessary plating that could slow down the wearer, diffidently built for speed.

Dove held the helm in her arm, standing square and tall, she somehow just made the armor, like it had been made for her. 'Which she did say it was,' Colbert thought as he watched her move her arms and legs in a few stretches.

"I think you would agree that this is my armor," Dove said noticing Colbert's gaze.

Without even realizing it Colbert nodded.

"Great," Dove said, "now I just need to figure out who put it in the wings."

Dove marched out of the room going towards her room.

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As Dove echoed down the halls she paid almost no attention to the groups of awe struck servants and honestly jealous/interested nobles. She had something more important on her mind.

'I locked this armor up, and didn't have it with me on my trip to solitude,' when she had found her bow she had been over joyed, it was like finding that missing part of herself. She hadn't questioned it too much because she had been carrying it with her so she had assumed that it had been dropped somewhere nearby when she had arrived.

By this logic she should be able to find all of the gear she had on her person when Sheogorath had influenced Louise's spell.

However, this new development dumped all that logic down the drain. The fact that she hadn't had this with her during her trip meant it had to have been sent afterwards.

Who could have sent it to her? Odahviing and Durnehviir had both said that dragons would need to be aware of exactly where she was or be called by her in order to get to this world. It must be similar for other lesser creatures like humans and mer if they wanted to send things across the plains of existence.

So that would disqualify the creatures of the world, what about the daedrics?

They would probably be aware of her situation, Sheogorath had been the one to help send her there and he wouldn't usually stay quiet about things like this so it was a safe bet to say the daedrics knew she was gone from the world.

So if it was one of them then who? She had managed to get on the bad side of many daedrics and those that hadn't decided to destroy her upon sight probably didn't have anything to gain by sending her things. She hadn't been anyone's champion either so they had left her alone for the most part.

So most creatures in Nirn were out, Daedrics were a maybe but unlikely, so who was left? The Aedra were the only other group she could think of and they were bound to the mortal realm, like a always watching older uncle or aunt.

Most of their power had gone into the creation of Nirn and all its creatures so they can't just send things to her unless someone was helping or if it was related to them.

Dove paused with one hand on her door as that thought occurred to her, 'Akatosh is the god of dragons, he is the father of my soul, leader of the nine, and all the equipment I have found are made out of dragon parts. Could he have sent these to me?'

He was honestly the only being she could think of that might send her such things; the only question if it was him was, why? She hadn't seen hide nor hair of him during any of her other adventures, not when she had defeated her 'brother' Alduin, fought Mirrak, or stopped the vampires from blotting out his sun. So if it was him then why was he out of the blue gifting her weapon of choice and a full suit of armor?

Dove shook her head and pushed her way into her room, it was late, this was too confusing, and she needed to sleep on this.

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The sound of knocking at the door awoke Dove the next morning, she had fallen asleep quickly after removing he armor and placing it at the foot of her bed.

"Dove," came Louise's voice from the other side of the door, "Get up, we need to go."

Dove sighed and got out of bed, sleep hadn't really help her thoughts. It seemed that she had somehow developed a head ache from her partially remembered dreams that got worse as she tried to remember more. The only thing she could remember was a grinning dragon face and a winking woman, she was as confused as oblivion.

Sighing she changed mental topics and started picking up her armor. 'Stupid, how is this going to work? I said I was going with Louise, maybe I could sneak off and enlist, but I would be most effective in this war as Dovahkiin.'

Dove smirked as inspiration hit her. Why was she worrying at all? The staff was 'dismissed' because of the war and that meant she was free to go anywhere she wanted, she could go 'on a trip' and Dovahkiin could fight.

Now all she had to do was run her plan past Louise for her opinion. 'I hate that I can't use you,' she thought forlornly at the helm she was holding in both hands.

Outside Louise was starting to get angry, 'what is taking her so long?' she questioned in her head. As she was raising her hand to knock again, Dove opened the door.

"About t-" Louise started when she registered what Dove was wearing.

It was the most impressive set of armor she had ever seen. Most armor she had seen had been worn by visiting nobles and high ranking commoner swordswomen, it had looked smooth and noble on them. This armor looked wild and daring in contrast to those she had seen before.

"So, Louise," Dove started, "I'm not going to fight in this war."

Louise blinked, shock and anger snapping to the fore front, "what do you mean?" she asked barley holding her knee-jerk emotions in, "you said last night that you were going to help me."

Dove smiled, "I should be clearer, I said I will go with you as your familiar. I can do much more for this war in the air as Dovahkiin then on the ground as Dove since Albion is said to have an impressive air force."

Louise easily swallowed the anger, she really shouldn't have jumped to the conclusion she had. "I guess that makes sense," she said, "you had me worried for a second, I thought you meant that you weren't going to help."

Dove laughed. "There isn't anything you can do to stop me from participating in this, or any other, fight. However, there's something I need from you," she spoke seriously towards the end, her humor leaving her.

Louise nodded, anything she could do to help.

"I plan on telling people that I'm going on a trip while the war is going on," Dove said simply, "I need you to spread this information around with me, since we are friends, to make it believable."

Louise nodded again, "I can do that."

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Louise darted to her room where she wrote a short letter to Osmond letting him know that she was going to join the army since they had gotten permission from the announcement, implying that Dove was leaving with her for the start of a journey around the country.

With that taken care of she picked up the supplies she had already packed and left for the front entry way, she had agreed to meet Dove there.

Dove was already waiting for her at the entrance. "You know," she said by way of greeting, "I really think they should put an actual gate in this archway, with a war starting they should at least have some kind of protection."

Louise traversed the last fifteen feet answering her. "Mages can lift troops over the walls, it's dangerous but it can be done."

Dove shrugged and they started towards the forest continuing their conversation.

Dove rolled her eyes, "it still would limit the troops getting in." Then she dropped the topic in favor of a better one, "We need to go by my cave, there I will drop off my armor and pick up a few things I left there."

Louise nodded but asked, "What things?"

Dove smirked, "Potions for you, some that replenish Magicka or repair injuries you might receive."

Louise started to feel a little scared, "What injuries? I'm a noble, I won't be hurt in this, the army would protect me."

Dove shattered her moral busting illusions, "Nope, the chances of people, regardless of status getting hurt in this war are extremely high, people might get though a battle without getting hurt but that's about it, anything beyond that is sheer luck."

Louise was turning whiter and whiter as Dove spoke. "What about you?" she asked worriedly.

Dove smirked happy she had thought about another person despite what she was walking into, "I have healing spells that I haven't taught you yet for lack of time, I will be fine."

Louise smirked. Dove was right, she reassured herself, Dove had healing spells and vast amounts of experience, she was now looking out for Louise instead of the other way around.

Louise paused her thoughts, 'how much experience did Dove have?' She asked her question.

Dove glanced over, "I have been living on my own since I was fifteen after I left the bards college. Then I journeyed for a year before becoming a full time adventurer for the last three years. I'm nineteen now."

Louise grinned, grateful for the information.

"So what are Tabitha and Kirche going to do while we are at war?" Dove asked, it wasn't their land and not their fight, yet.

"They said that they were going to 'go with dove,' since you are coming with me I think that means they will fight with us," Louise said.

"Why?" Dove asked completely caught off guard by the response.

"Tabitha said she didn't want to miss her lessons and Kirche said it would be funner with us then back home, that and she wanted to 'prove what she said,'" Louise said almost equal confused as Dove.

"I guess, we will see them when they catch up to us then," Dove reasoned, she would get answers then.

"…"

"…"

"...did we tell them that we were leaving already?" Louise suddenly asked

"I think we might have forgotten."

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Henrietta paced her throne room, the words of her panicked servant were still ringing in her ears despite the fact that she had heard them over a day ago.

Deep down she had felt, known, that it had only been a matter of time before Albion declared war with her land, they practically declared their intentions before the bod-, before Wales had time to go cold.

Her painful mood was interrupted by an announcement from the door; "Announcing her lady, Louise Francoise Le Blanc De La Valliere."

Henrietta schooled her features and turned to face the door as her friend entered. She had been more worried about Louise she had admitted to herself, after the mission she had come to recognize her need to protect her limited group of friends so much more than before. She couldn't bear it if she lost Louise on top of everything else.

Louise, unaware of the thought running though her monarch head, knelt ten paces from the raised dais. "Princess, please allow my familiar and I to be at your side," she asked politely.

"Thank you Louise," Henrietta said happy to have her but conflicted. The previous mentioned worry for her friend warring with the knowledge that Louise commanded a rather large flying lizard, a major addition to their forces since Albion ruled the sky with air magic and dragon knights.

"Would you like the position on my right hand side?" she offered and as a compromise between her fears and logic added, "with your familiar flying with the griffin knights?".

Louise grinned, she loved the idea, next to Henrietta would be safe and if it wasn't then she could protect her friend. "Yes, thank you your highness," she accepted joyously.

Outside Dovahkiin was pacing the courtyard. The knights already there were anxious, she could see it in their movements. It wasn't too hard to understand why though; the men were separated into roughly three or four groups each with their own ticks.

The ones near the stables in the back were armored rather heavily and their weapons were long sword wands. These were knights like she had heard of before, men who rode horses, the cavalry of the army. They were anxious because they were stuck on the ground and almost completely at the mercy of the airborne knights of Albion.

The next group was dressed in what looked to her like ridiculous cloth armor and feathered hats. They were stationed next to their familiars, all of whom were griffins. These guys worried Dove for several reasons, they appeared to be the only flying army group currently at the castle and if she remembered correctly these guys used to be under the leadership of Wardes, the Griffin knights.

The last group was arguable two. They were, in comparison to the others, simple but practically dressed and armed.

These guys had to be made up of commoners in her opinion, since nobles tended to have too much arrogance to dress as sensibly as these people.

One sub-group looked to be the regular palace guard that always inhabited the castle and protected those within while the other sub-group was someone she had seen before; the Musketeers.

Dove shifted a little uncomfortable herself when her gaze noticed the short haired woman...Agnes? She thought that was her name, who had come to her room and who she had ticked off by demonstrating her magic.

After a while Louise exited the palace and made her way over to her. "I am to be with Henrietta while you are to fly with the griffin knights," she announced to Dovahkiin.

Dovahkiin's arch mage side nodded in agreement, she immediately understood that this arrangement kept Louise out of immediate danger but still utilized her effectively in combat, her companion and dragon side however didn't care, they were just happy to fight and taste the blood of her enemies.

* * *

 **OKAY,**

 **WAR TIME!**

 **...**

 **how long do you think I can draw out the time until the actual fighting?**

 **:P**


	24. Chapter 24

**I didn't know the Skyrim copy rights were behind a laser grid.**

 **Whelp, got to plan for that next time.**

 **Familiar of Zero and Skyrim don't belong to me**

 **yet.**

* * *

 **ForgottenGrimiore: So close. Akatosh would be the best candidate for that, I think its Odahviing who burns, Durnaviir that raises, ad Dovahkiin who is BA.**

 **helkil: sorry, you're just going to have to wait until next chapter for fire. Slow-ish relationships are more realistic in my opinion.**

 **Touhou is Life: You really think I can wait five chapters to get into a war?**

 **GGFBank: Ya, I jump armor to armor based on what has the best protection without turning me into a tank.**

 **Akshka: The church would obviously hate Dove's guts if they found out about her, which is highly likely with all that happens in canon. I'm more in the mood for 'smart' fighting, out-whiting your opponent to either maximize your blood letting or minimize it.**

 **the Kitty Killer: Call of Valour only brings three spirits... hold on if it brings spirits then wouldn't it attract FOZ spirits? random thought. She would probably give Derf to Louise to help protect her.**

 **Straist: She is a Skyrim dragon about twice the size of Sylphid.**

 **Boyzilla: Quoting sage-y things really kills my mood :P**

 **!Dawalkindude: WRONG THE ANSWER IS 42!**

 **pARADOX009: It's coming.**

 **Properdecay: Would this count as one and the next one where people start dying count as two? No plots in this chapter, just set up.**

 **NotSoSlimSh4dy: I agree, The potion came way to easily, now I'm going to have to write the rest of the world a little differently to work with it. Thanks for your constructive criticism.**

 **RedBurningDragon: Lagit... not really. you guessed it, only one chapter before people start killing. Corpses will be made, but of who is up for debate. I also want to see Dove X Tabitha but they need to first recognize that they are into the same gender.**

 **OSDStitch: yup, shout can really ruin an invading army.**

 **: Meeeaah, I don't know, I don't think it would matter if she arrives as a dragon or on a skeletal horse, either way they are going to fear her unless she walks in like a commoner.**

 **Guest: She might, but it would be easier to just hide until she has the persons complete trust.**

 **Potato man the semi omnipotent: I'm not sure how long that is.**

 **dovgrahdeen: ANSWERS!**

 **1\. yup, but many people would be to busy to notice anything except for whose side they fight for until they come face to face.**

 **2\. It's a little unnecessary since Dove can fly, I was thinking about teaching Siesta to fly it since it belongs to her family.**

 **3\. Yes but she's literally five feet from Henrietta who would be the most protected person in their arm, no place is safe but that would be the safest.**

 **4\. Depends, how fast can she run?**

 **5\. I think, since she has a dragon familiar it should come a little easier to her, still taking months but not the years it would take others.**

 **Inquisitor Czevak (this is for all your reviews):maybe. I regret not realizing the opportunity for a song when it showed itself. your welcome. Not completely.**

 **the Juicer: Nope, just because you asked, I won't write any more chapters ;P**

 **Guest: Wardes was already next to Wales when he stabbed, when Dove used Wuld Nah Kest she moved to protect Louise instead of Wales, getting the intended target wrong really hurt her self confidence.**

 **WHAT'S THIS? NO PERFECTSHADE?! NOOOO I MISS YOUR REVEWS THEY ARE THE LIGHT ON SOME OF MY DARKEST DAYS!**

* * *

"Hey Tabby," Kirche asked lounging in Tabitha's room while the cerulean read to herself.

"Hm?" said the other girl responded.

"Why do I suddenly feel like we have been forgotten?"

Tabitha thought for a moment, "Where is Dove?"

Kirche blinked, "I don't know, I'll go find out."

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At the palace Dovahkiin was feeling honestly joyous about the upcoming fight.

War had always held an important place within Nordic culture because it allowed people to show their honor and courage.

Part of her was happy for this reason while the other was seeing the opportunity to study Tristian authority and reaction this situation presented; how would the leadership respond?

Based on what she had seen so far she was… content with the ruler.

The princess had moved to place her where she would be the most helpful, in the air. This was a good move, but she also did place her friend basically out of harm's way apparently without considering her skill set. Louise had told her about the brief exchange inside the throne room so she knew the princess didn't ask about her skills, to Dovahkiin it felt like an indirect and probably unintended insult about Louise's abilities.

She knew the decision was made out of friendship but if Louise wasn't pushed then she wouldn't grow.

"So," Louise pulled Dovahkiin' attention, "I'm going to be with that group," she gestured towards the large group of sensibly dressed people on horseback. "While you are going with them," she gestured to the flying chicken wings.

Dovahkiin knew that the majority of the fighting was going to be on her. 'Useless' she mentally grumbled looking at her group but also remembering that she wasn't supposed to talk in front of other people, 'would it kill them to put a little more armor on then just fancy clothes?'

The griffin knights armor was literally a cloth tunic, cape and feathered hat, all of it had been designed for style instead of any practical combat advantages. If was almost physically painful to Dovahkiin to see such unprepared people being sent into battle.

'Maybe they have greater mobility?' she hoped that was the reason for their wardrobe. Bottom line was these guys made her upset that she had left her dragon scale armor behind, if only to show these people how real armor is made.

Dovahkiin sighed, 'maybe they are bold, brave, daring fighters?'

"Why did Wardes leave?" one whined, literally whined like a spoiled child after their missing parent.

"He was best, I really hope we don't have to fight him," another commented.

Dovahkiin groaned, she was totally, majorly gjok.

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As Louise moved among the rest of her group she noticed Dovahkiin's increasingly somber mood. She personally couldn't understand it, Dovahkiin got to fly with he griffin knights, some of the most respected and famous mages in the land, she should be happy not sulking.

"Miss Valliere," a sharp voice stated from nearby.

Louise turned to see a woman in unflattering armor, her hair a darker peach color and was kind of short on top of it all.

Then she remembered seeing this woman before, "Hello, aren't you one of Henrietta's musketeers?" Louise asked.

The woman nodded sharply. "I'm Agnes de Milan, leader of the musketeers," Agnes said with pride, "You are to come with me, we're organizing ourselves in case we need to march."

Louise nodded, she could help with that.

Time passed quickly for Louise as she was issued some light armor and a horse. All she had done since then was fume a little, she had basically been put in her place and forgotten about. Agnes was grouping people around her and issuing orders like a noble should have been doing despite the fact that she was a commoner.

Louise couldn't understand it and after an hour of just sitting there jealously watching she could stand it no more.

Going over to Dovahkiin she started grumbling. "It's not right," she started, "Agnes is just a commoner and I'm a noble, why should I subservient to her now? Usually I would be the one to give orders."

Dovahkiin rolled her eyes as Louise kept on going. "I'm also Henrietta's friend, shouldn't she trust me to lead her protective detail? I can be left in charge of things."

Dovahkiin decided that her temper was short and she had had enough grumbling, " _Louise_ ," she hissed quietly to avoid others hearing, _"Where have you been living for the last few years?"_

Louise paused, she had a feeling that this was one of Dovahkiin's lessons. "At the academy of magic," she answered simply.

Dovahkiin nodded, " _where has Agnes been all that time?_ "

Louise paused, she didn't know. "I guess wherever she calls home," she hazarded a guess.

Dovahkiin shook her head, " _This girl has experience, she has been leading solders for a long time, you can see it in her bearing. Her title as leader is something she has earned, not something she was born with or got because of her previous status. That is why everyone follows her instead of you, you haven't put in the years to prove that you can lead effectively."_

Louise huffed, "I'm the daughter of Duchess Karin 'Heavy Wind' de La Valliere, Former Commander of the Manticore Knights, I can lead."

 _"_ _In court,"_ Dovahkiin growled, _"it might matter whose daughter you are, but out here, in the army, it only matters what you can do and to prove what you can do you must do it."_

Louise frowned, not quite getting it.

 _"_ _I can fly,"_ Dovahkiin started, _"we know I can fly beautifully because I have flown before. I have proven I can."_ Dovahkiin tilted her head towards Agnes, " _she has proven that she can lead and lead effectively, so let her lead. If you want to lead then wait your chance to prove what you can, until then follow your orders."_

"How long will that take?" Louise whined.

 _"_ _It didn't take too long for me,"_ Dovahkiin said with a dragon's shrug, _"if you want it to go faster then watch those that people follow. I don't mean those that people have no choice but to obey, like the queen, I mean watch those that people want to follow, like Agnes."_

Louise stared at her familiar, 'did she just insinuate that Agnes is a better leader then the queen?'

As if sensing her thoughts Dovahkiin smiled, " _yes, I have watched her for a few hours and met her once weeks ago yet I can tell that she inspires people to follow her. She is a born leader, so imitate her."_

Louise frowned, "what about the queen? She has ruled us well."

Dovahkiin frowned and shook her head, _"the only things I know about the queen is that the king ruled more often than not and that when he died she 'became fragile' and since then had shifted a lot of the burden of ruling onto the princess. I admit I haven't met her or know a lot about her but what I have seen shows a lack quality for a ruler."_

Louise frowned, she couldn't recall much news about the queen's rule, as sad as it was to say, Dovahkiin was right as far as she could recall.

Dovahkiin snorted as Louise floundered, " _figure out why Agnes is a good leader and you will have a leg up on most others who want to lead."_

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Before too long the sun moved towards the horizon. The groups organized themselves in preparation for the night with most of the nobles moving into the palace leaving the commoners and larger familiars out in the cooling air.

Some came back out when an unfamiliar wind dragon came flying out of the sky, but they soon moved back into the warmth when it was revealed that the riders didn't bring news of an attack.

When Kirche and Tabitha had flown in on Sylphid, many of the on edge solders nearly attacked them until Louise was able to work her way into the group and vouch for them.

"I think I kind of hate you, right now at least," Kirche stated to both Louise and Dovahkiin. Louise and Dovahkiin guiltily kept their eyes fixed firmly on the ground at their feet. "Both of you just left us there while you decided to go off to war? I told you I'm your friend and I'm going to prove it."

"You really don't have to," Louise said thinking about how much trouble it could cause for a foreign noble to fight in another lands army.

Kirche sighed, "yes I do, if I don't then my word won't mean anything."

Louise tried to think of some way to convince her enemy turned rival turned friend, to stay out of both physical and political harm's way, the irony of what she was doing astounded her.

Seeing her friend at a loss, Henrietta of all people moved up to intervene, "I don't see a problem with this, right now we need every available mage." internally she started weighing the odds of Germalia helping them despite her broken marriage to their king if it was reported that a Germalian mage had died at the hands of the Reconquista.

She ended that train of thought, a little disgusted at herself.

"And you?" she asked moving on to the cerulean who hadn't spoken since arriving.

"I'll help."

Henrietta raised an eyebrow and tilted her head, caught off guard by the lack of explanation.

 _"_ _She wants me to continue to teach her,"_ Dovahkiin hissed to the princess's ear. Tabitha nodded, not really caring about what the princess thought.

"What are you learning?" Henrietta asked the cerulean, 'what can a dragon teach a mage?'

"Shouting," Tabitha answered quietly.

"Shouting?" Henrietta repeated surprised, 'why would someone as quiet as her want learn to shout?'

Dovahkiin shifted awkwardly, she knew that Tabitha was a quiet person but now she was even more silent then before. As Tabitha nodded to the princess Dovahkiin rolled an eye around to analyze her body language; Tabitha was still, her hands at her side and feet shoulder length apart, as mentioned before her voice was extra quiet as if she was trying to draw the least amount of attention to herself.

Deciding to help Dovahkiin shifted her head around until her head was over the blue mage. Lowering her head down she gently nipped the back of Tabitha's shirt. Lifting her head and mage along with it, she turned and deposited Tabitha behind her before the princess could ask any more questions.

The entire movement surprised and drew several of the anxious knights' attentions to the bland face mage as she was picked up by the 'scruff' of her neck and handled like a kitten.

Setting her down Dovahkiin formed a wall with her body, enclosing Tabitha in a half circle. Tabitha looked at Dovahkiin with a raised eyebrow then turned to face Sylphid as she moved around to close the other end of the half circle with her own body.

The other mages who were left outside of the ring of dragons could only look at each other in confusion.

Tabitha sat down, her back resting on the warm scaled belly of Dovahkiin. **"What's wrong Tabitha?"** Dovahkiin asked glad that no one outside could hear her so she could stop talking in a hiss.

"Nothing," Tabitha said leaning deeper into the warmth.

 **"** **Liar,"** Dovahkiin smirked.

Sylphid crooned, 'you should tell her, she is your teacher.'

Tabitha fixed her with a glance, 'Osmond is my teacher, Colbert is my teacher, even Chevreuse is my teacher but I don't tell them things like this.' she argued.

'But they don't mean nearly as much to you as she does,' Sylphid shot back.

Tabitha tilted her head, 'does Dove mean enough for that level of trust?'

Sylphid nodded, 'Louise knows'.

'No, she just knows that I'm royalty,' Tabitha said unaware that Louise knew more than that.

 **"** **Are either of you two going to tell me what you guys are saying in your heads?"** Dovahkiin groused.

Tabitha glanced to the left towards Dovahkiin's face. Her own face was a little flushed at being caught talking to Sylphid. 'That's the second time,' a little voice in her head mentioned, no one else had ever caught her doing talking to Sylphid, except Dovahkiin. "What to talk about," she said.

 **"** **You were talking about what to talk about?"** Dovahkiin deadpanned.

Tabitha stared her square in the eye and nodded solemnly.

'Do it,' Sylphid urged from her side of the circle.

"...talking about how much to trust you," Tabitha said bluntly. Sylphid crooned/groaned in disappointment.

Dovahkiin blinked then frowned and snarled, **"I have been honest with you about my feelings and condition. I think I might have been too nice to you if you don't trust me enough to answer me honestly."**

Tabitha watched unblinking as Dovahkiin twisted her head around and placed it outside the circle. Sylphid stared at Tabitha for a moment before twisting around as well.

Dovahkiin's temper started to fade as soon as Tabitha was out of her line of sight but didn't fade entirely. 'I let them in about my very soul, true they found out their own way, but I still trusted her with something private. Why can't she do the same?' she thought bitterly and closed her eyes.

Tabitha was stuck within the circle of dragon flesh that soon started to snore in the fading light. 'What did I do wrong?' she thought unsure since she had answered honestly. Deciding to wait and figure it out, she let the warmth from her back lull her into a light sleep.

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"Dovahkiin! Come on we have to get up," a loud voice broke the soft black of sleep that held Dovahkiin at its tender mercy.

Growling she lifted her head and blinked at the pink blob invader who had plundered her rest. "Come on Dovahkiin, we have to go." Oh, it was Louise.

The dragon let loose a large yawn that showed Louise every single tooth of the beast she had woken up. Unconcerned with the mages sudden shivering, Dovahkiin glanced up and noticed that it was now completely dark out, Kirche was sitting up at the front of a group surprisingly next to Guiche.

Louise huffed as Dovahkiin stretched her shoulders, taking her time just to spite the girl. Tabitha got up, yawned cutely, and moved to wake Sylphid. " _What is it?"_ Dovahkiin hissed quietly.

"There was a messenger," Louise stated anxiously, "Reconquista has invaded the village of Tarbes."

Dovahkiin froze a spike of anger flashing though her, 'invaded, is Wardes in that village? Is the man Louise spoke of there?'

Louise watched as Doavhkiin's face split into a sadistic dragon grin. Surprising those around her she grinned back with almost equal intensity before dropping the look with a quick breath.

'Rule of steel,' "yes, you remember Tarbes right? Where we found that airship," Louise said putting on a show of talking to a lesser intelligent creature.

'Tarbes?' Dovahkiin thought, then her eyes widened, 'where Siesta lives!'

Louise noticed Dovahkiin suddenly going stiff, "yes where Siesta lives, it is in danger, the princess thinks that they are going to use the village as a base to invade the rest of the land."

Dovahkiin growled, anger, fear and worry raging inside. She silently prayed to the nine that no one had died yet.

"You need to ride with your group," Louise started ordering while Dovahkiin nodded, she had heard all this before but let her go through the motions for the others benefit. "I'm going to be with the princess, when we get to the field we're going to fight, no fighting until then."

Dovahkiin growled, she really wanted to crush something but gave a resigned look when Louise gave a 'angry' look. "Thank you," Louise said as Dovahkiin 'caved' to her summoners orders.

Glancing around Dovahkiin watched the groups form up to marching positions while the more important nobles moved out of the palace to take their placed at the head of the army divisions.

Henrietta was bowing before a dark female figure outlined by the open grand doorway. It was a little hard for Dovahkiin to make her out since the open door behind her cast her is a deep shadow, but the way she was bowing, on her knee and everything, Dovahkiin was sure that it was the queen.

She seemed to be saying something important because she half bowed as she spoke and shadowed queen moved her hands as if she was praying before Henrietta stood up and moved to take the head of the entire army.

Louise moved back to her spot in the group and the army of three companies of ground forces and four griffin platoons started to move out.

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"So this is what it's like in an army?" Kirche commented/asked. They had been riding since the princess had received the blessing of Brimir from her mother.

So far the experience hadn't been up to the stories she had heard before. There was no golden dawn while the righteous, noble army moved out to defeat the villains like she had been told about as a small child. Later she had heard that it was a hard, hot, and sweaty mob that was always hungry and on the move from a low born noble she had spent the night with viewing the stars... from her bedroom.

It was neither hot and sweaty or frolicking through the sun until they crash into the vile enemy, it was rather like any other time she had gone riding early in the morning except that she had to stay close to her partner Guiche.

"Why are you asking me? I know about as much as you do," Guiche answered with a groan.

"Well you are the son of a general," Kirche pointed out with a smirk.

"You're from a military family as well," Guiche shot back, "what rank is your family?"

"Oh, somewhere up there," Kirche said literally waving the question away with a cold sweat.

"I guess you would need to be related to someone as high as me to know the basics of a campaign," Guiche sighed dramatically boasting his own superiority to an unimpressed woman.

Up towards the front of the army procession, in the second group with the griffin platoons, Tabitha kept looking at Dovahkiin. She had gone to the griffin knights with Dovahkiin to make the best use of her skills but now the awkward glances between the two of them were starting to make her feel uncomfortable.

They were going into a fight where they were going to be the two best flyers in the army. She knew from experience that the griffin knights were going to be useful for a while but would ultimately be crushed by the dragon knights of Albion.

The point is that they would need to trust each other to survive the fight and this new distance between them could be a problem in combat.

She squared her shoulders, deciding to get though whatever 'this' was before the fight. "What's wrong?" she asked the dragon.

Dovahkiin shrugged, keeping her words short and chopped to keep others from hearing her. **"it hurt that I you wouldn't trust me enough to tell me what was bothering you last night."**

Tabitha looked at her. 'Might as well, Louise and Kirche know,' she thought ignoring Sylphid mental 'I told you so.'

"I was worried over how my actions here would affect my family back home," Tabitha said just as bluntly as last night.

Dovahkiin raised an... eyebrow... Eye ridge, Tabitha didn't know what to call that part of the dragon's face, **"What do you mean?"**

"My position is strained at home," Tabitha said, "Louise can explain afterwards."

Dovahkiin processed Tabitha's words, looking for the nuances that could be the key to understanding her short phrases.

 **'** **Something is wrong at home and Louise knows about it, she is asking for either more time or a more privet environment,'** that's all she got. Looking around at the knights and beasts surrounding them she could understand the need for privacy.

 **"** **Fine,"** she hissed resigned, **"after the battle I want a full explanation."**

Tabitha nodded, glad Dovahkiin had understood.

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Louise rode up with the princess, instead of thinking about the battle she was distracting herself with what Dovahkiin had said earlier. 'Did she give me this challenge for the purpose of distracting me?' she questioned briefly before returning to her observations.

'What makes Agnes a better leader then the queen?' as she watched the Musketeer she noticed that people would ride up to her salute and give a quick message.

Louise was too far away to properly hear what was said but Agnes would seem to think for a moment before give out a short batch of orders and the solder would move off. She couldn't see it from where she was but these orders would cause tiny shifts in the great mass of people that was their army, allowing them to move a little faster than before.

"What has you so interested in Agnes? Louise," the voice of the princess asked from beside her. The princess was frowning a bit in curiosity and a little jealousy about why her friend had spent more time watching her Musketeer than reconnecting with her.

Louise jumped and blushed a bit, "I, it's that, someone told me that she was a good leader and I wanted to find out why."

Henrietta blinked, looking at her nervous friend in surprise and confusion with a little hurt mixed in. "Why her? Aren't I a good leader too?" she asked.

"YES," Louise cried quickly, "it's just that, the person who talked to me about leading gave her as an example and I wanted to see why."

Henrietta smiled at her lead Musketeer, "she is a good leader, I can see why someone would suggest you watch her. What have you learned from it?"

Louise shrugged, "people come up and talk short and to the point with her then she thinks and gives an equally short and to the point answer, beyond that I can't quite tell from here."

"Maybe that's the point," the princess smiled at the wording, "she is a good leader because she gives them clear and concise orders."

Louise thought on that for about a hundred meters down the road.

"Who suggested that you look into the ability to lead?"

The princess's voice pulled Louise out of her thoughts, "what your highness?"

"Who suggested you look into the ability to lead?" Henrietta repeated giggling at the flash of flustered irritation on her friends face.

"I was talking with Dovahkiin," Louise said drawing Henrietta's immediate interest in the dragon's unique opinion, "I was discussing the lack of social norms in the army. Most notably the fact that Agnes was given the right to order me around in set up."

Henrietta smiled to ease her friend's obviously bruised ego. "We talked for a while and she used an example that I only partially understood about her flying, but it eventually came down to the fact that Agnes leads because she has the experience to do so properly.

She frowned, "I wanted to know why she has the reputation of having that experience while I don't, she basically told me to watch and find out why. Useless dragon," Louise muttered the last bit, annoyed that she couldn't get a straight answer.

Henrietta watched surprised at the rather open show of emotions on her friend. The only time she had seen so open in front of others was when a group of maids had walked in on their play time. Louise back then had been cutely embarrassed and sulky the rest of the day, now she almost didn't bat an eye. Henrietta decided that Dovahkiin must have been a good influence on her.

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The group moved on, the road leading though plains and open fields for the most part. A little before noon they pasted into a forest.

The light, at ease, feeling that had been with them most of the way suddenly dimmed. Those with any traveling experience knew that these woods marked the outer boundary of the land Tarbes was built on. That knowledge and the sudden decrease in light made their situation suddenly seem much more real.

They were going to fight and die soon, many found themselves offering prayers to Brimir.

Dovahkiin hated walking in dragon form, it was an awkward affair when she needed to use her wings to crawl. If the army had moved any faster, then she would have been left behind.

She found herself almost constantly growling her displeasure at the pace she had been forced to keep while on the road. This noise escalated in the forest as the army was forced to slow down, giving her a short breather as Agnes gave quick orders to alter their formations to slip into the tree line but making her have to stand on all fours instead.

The trees, according to her memory, would last about a mile and a half before giving way to the sweeping view of the town she remembered. From her position at the front of the second group Dovahkiin could see the tension increase in the men.

She smirked remembering her first battle, the 'encounter' with Alduin didn't count. She had been so nervous up until the first war cry, then she had lost it. The battle back then had been clearing out a fort full of stormcloaks instead of retaking a lost town so it was a little different but she was sure these knights would get over their moods like she had soon enough.

Dovahkiin kept on crawling forwards, thinking about her adventures to keep her mind off the ache in her thighs, and the growing discomfort in her wings.

She stopped suddenly. Those around her were forced to slow and those directly behind her stopped so as not to run into her.

Tabitha stopped Sylphid to glance at Dovahkiin as she looked around sniffing the air, 'hackles' rising.

"What is it?" Tabitha asked the still dragon. A person called a halt to the group up a head.

One of the griffin knights moved up and prodded her, "come on, were almost there." His actions intended to be calming but only annoyed her and she growled at him.

'Something is wrong.'

Suddenly deciding to move, Dovahkiin turned and marched into the woods.

* * *

 **Something you guys should know.**

 **I REALLY HATE HOW THE INVASION OF TARBES WENT.**

 **I have three issues with the canon plot.**

 **brought absolutely no ground forces. Imagine attempting to take over any form of base with only air forces, you could cause devastation but no true take over.**

 **2\. The ship is show arriving while Siesta is working but the sun is high in the sky, lets assume 10:00-11:00, the messenger telling the army where they had been invaded arrived in the dark, so 7:00 (just guessing) and the fight is the next day. meaning that the invaders in the anime just spent an entire day floating there doing nothing but look scary.**

 **3\. THEY ONLY BROUGHT ONE SHIP THAT CARRIED THEIR SUPREME LEADER ON IT? for anyone outside of Reconquiesta picture this, in world war two the alliance sends only one ship to D-Day, and it happens to be carrying Winston Churchill, FD Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin.**

 **One well place shot (void spell) and your leadership get captured.**

 **Albion is said to have a great air force but can't shell out anything more than one ship!?**

 **If you can't tell, I'm going to be changing the fight to make it a little more realistic.**


	25. Chapter 25

**My fingers hurt**

 **I blame you**

 **don't give me that look, you know what you did.**

 **Familiar of zero and Skyrim don't belong to me**

 **not for lack of trying**

 **but because they have a better defense then I do.**

* * *

 **Guest: Thank you for your input. Unfortunately I don't have the book but I would like to since you make it sound like it was much better written than the anime.**

 **Boyzilla: Ya, the majority of Fanfiction on this site is the butterfly effect. It sounds like the battle was better handed in the light novel/story than the anime.**

 **NacNak: here it is.**

 **Touhou is Life: read and find out.**

 **helkil: I don't think so, the Reconquista got them first for their campaign.**

 **RedBurningDragon:... could you re phrase that? Right next to the princess will be the most protected but also the end goal for the enemy, so both the safest and most dangerous place to be. they might be baiting the land forces, but they did nothing to secure their claim to the land they just invaded? Cromwell should have done more, and I'm giving him more intelligence than in the anime.**

 **Aline1: True that.**

 **Akshka: Hope this is enough blood for you.**

 **Bruh: Tomato, Tomorrow-we-dine-in-hell! same thing really.**

 **Properdecay: You might want to pray harder.**

 **WouldYouKindly0039: Kill the son of a bitch? No. Thanks, I got tired of the blond, bearded, thor as the Dragon Born, you're allowed to make him/her anyway you want so I wrote a her.**

 **perfectshade: thank you for the two reviews.**

 **perfectshade: Tabitha should be able to shout, in a few weeks, not months or years like others because she has a dragon familiar in my opinion, it would draw the two of them closer. The whole spirits thing was just a thought I had literally out of the blue while responding to that persons review, so no idea which. Derflinger is with Louise, Dove gave him over thinking that any self respecting noble should have some basic idea about how to use a sword.**

 **Thanks, While she has given them plenty of reasons why they shouldn't use her potion, I'm sure that there are plenty of nobles who would demand for it as soon as they hear about it. I don't think that allergies would stop many, I was thinking that Dove hasn't shared the recipe with anyone except once and Louise wasn't quite paying enough attention to remember what it was. She suddenly has a monopoly on how available the potion is. I think that Nobles familiarity with magic would help them use the potion more effectively, but there shouldn't be any difference biased on the potion itself.**

 **What else would Dove call Griffins? I (and I think most of the noble boys as well)** **see** **the Griffin knights as the cool kids, not the athletic kids, but the too cool for (any real effort) school kids so they would wear fashionable cloths instead of effective ones. I thought that it would be natural for Louise to want a position of authority like most noble get, being put under someone else would be a strange experience for her that she would need Dove to point her in the right direction to get through.**

* * *

 **So I have bumped up my rating to M**

 **just to be safe**

 **if you don't think I've written anything worth a M rating then let me know.**

 **Please give me feedback for this chapter, it is my first attempt at a actual battle**

 **and**

 **It's twice as long as anything I've ever** **written without a beta**

 **any constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.**

* * *

"What happened!" Demanded Henrietta from the front of her now stalled army. Beside her, Louise sat as straight as she could in the saddle trying to get a good view of the disturbance behind her.

"Your highness, one of the flying' mounts decided to run off," reported a runner who had moved up from the back.

This caused all three people at the front, Henrietta, Louise, and Agnes, to frown. All the flying mounts were familiars so they shouldn't have just decided to leave out of the blue.

"Which familiar left?" Agnes asked the first intelligent question that came to her mind.

"Dame," the runner saluted, "one of the only two dragons we had, the largest one, I don't know the mage who it belonged to."

Louise's mouth dropped open, "Dovahkiin? She's my familiar, why would she leave?"

The runner looked at her, "I, cannot be sure, my lady," he answered careful not to offend the noble but curious anyway, "why weren't you back with your familiar? I'm sorry, it's just that, almost all mages who can ride with their familiars."

Henrietta stepped in, "I asked her to travel with me, she is a childhood friend."

"Yes your highness," the runner said quickly noting the strangeness but letting it slide.

Henrietta looked to Louise, "can you think of any reason that Dovahkiin would abandon the army?"

Louise shook her head, "she was eager to get to Tarbes, I was actually afraid that she might decide to fly ahead on her own."

"While the loss of the dragon is a major disadvantage," Agnes said stepping in, "we already have a plan that didn't include it, and we still have the second dragon from that foreign girl. We need to fall back on that and press on regardless."

Louise frowned at Agnes angrily but whipped her head towards Henrietta as she spoke. "I agree, we can't afford to stop and look for Dovahkiin, move out." The last two words were an order to the runner who bowed and moved off to relay her words.

Louise looked askance at the other two girls before she sighed and had to cave to their logic, they had to push onwards for the people of Tarbes. Dovahkiin would just have to catch up.

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In the woods Dovahkiin staggered her way through the trees, as hard as it had been to move on the road it was worse in the trees themselves.

Instead of focusing on how angry at the trees she was, Dovahkiin decided to think about what the army was walking into. The entire situation just stank to her, 'the invaders came yesterday about an hour before noon and it took us almost an entire day for them to get there.'

AND THEY HADN'T SEEN ANYONE!

Unless the enemy was completely incompetent then they would have put that day to as effective use as they could. There should have been an ambush, or someone to fight on the way, not this apparent waiting around for Tristian to get there, it was basic battle logic; the tired, frightened army was the one that lost.

Dovahkiin considered taking to the air to look for the ambush she was certain was around here, but knew that that action would only draw attention to her and if it was as bad as she worried then the action could be the end of her.

She froze when a smell hit her nose. There was a faint but distinctive smell of human in the wind, coming from deeper in the trees, deciding to ponder the fact that she could identify 'human' as a scent later, Dovahkiin moved off still cursing which ever god thought that tall brown broccoli was a good idea.

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Henrietta came over the hill, clearing the forest around the fields of Tarbes she stopped to take everything in.

The land had been altered from what she had been told by Louise and others who had visited in the last few days to weeks. The town was mostly the same except the large earthen wall that had been erected by some earth mage last night and the four ships floating above it like sharks.

"You think we can fight them?" Louise asked from besides her. She was taking deep breaths, probably to help with her 'rule of steel' to contain the growing fear that was coming off Louise in waves.

"We can," Henrietta said calmly clutching at her chest and the ring on a piece of fine string underneath. She owed him to retake his home and that started by saving her own.

"We need to eliminate the air forces or we are going to crushed into the ground," Agnes said watching the ships.

Henrietta nodded, "Griffin knights!" The group moved forwards in their formations. "The invaders need to be taken down, First and fourth squads will draw the dragon knights off while the second and third will take down the ships, focus on only one ship at a time."

The entire force looked grim, the dragon knights were well known for being some of the best flyer in the land and the Albion navy was proud of the fact that their ships were the best until they had been taken over by Reconquista.

"If you can lure a single ship towards that hill," Henrietta pointed, "then we can have the first company assist in taking it down from the land."

The group saluted and the griffins moved to mount while the first company started going towards the hill. Henrietta gestured to Agnes, "the rest of us," she looked to the remaining two companies, "are going to take the town."

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Kirche and Guiche moved out with the first company while Tabitha took to the air with the griffin knights.

Sylphid crooned worriedly, eater was gone and she was afraid she would face the enemy without her. "Don't worry," Tabitha said calmingly.

Gaining altitude Tabitha broke off with the first squad.

Two of the ships instantly released several V formations of their own knights. The griffins instantly shifted into a formation box like formation in response and released a wave of wind spells.

The dragon knight scattered in response, easily avoiding the minor tornados cast at them. Responding with a wave the dragon's natural fire breath allowed the mages to retain their magic energy.

Out maneuvering the griffin's formation and attack, many of the dragons reformed into a cone shaped formation and crashed down on them from above. Dropping altitude and turning it into momentum, the griffins twisted towards an open sky to escape the 'dragon's hammer'.

Tabitha pointed with her staff, ice formed around her and with a gesture, shot like arrows towards the dragon's wings, gaining first blood as a few targets found themselves hamstringed midair.

As they engaged the knights, the other griffin squads moved into attack the ships and their remaining defenders.

As if rising to the challenge, one ship left the formation to attack the griffins.

Each griffin found themselves in a dog fight with an enemy knight, swerving and fighting to get behind the other. The heavier, stronger dragon knights attempting to pin the griffins against the 'walls' of the ship before roasting them while the agile griffins out maneuvered them.

Tabitha knew that their group couldn't last forever because the fire dragons the knights rode were naturally built for stamina and weight, hence would out last the griffins. She signaled a pair of close knights, "I'll distract, you get behind them."

Forgetting that she was a school girl the two knights quickly moved to obey the calm girl's concise order.

Tabitha flew just above a group of three knights, dropping ice chunks on them. The knights twisted midair and belched fire at the projectiles causing them to instantly melt. Righting themselves they moved to follow her.

Moving in a large circle the two griffins Tabitha had ordered came around behind the flight of dragons and set to work hitting them with tornados.

Before the group could respond they had 'unhorsed' two of the knights and punched more than a few dripping holes, severely damaged the wings of the third.

Tabitha glanced bad to take in the gory details, all three were either dead or finding out one disadvantage that heavy armor had for apparel in the sky.

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As the griffins took off Henrietta pointed towards the township. "We need to take back the town, second company will go and secure the back entrance while the third company will split in two to harass the wall from the west side and the remainder will attack the front with me."

Orders given she nudged her unicorn forwards to take the lead. Agnes gave orders to her second who saluted and moved off with the third company since it contained the majority of the musketeers.

Louise followed behind her princess silently wondering if she should try her wand or just chuck it in favor of Dove's teachings. Deciding to go with her newer teaching, she drew Derf in her right and readied a fire spell in her left. After a while they neared an opening in the wall a large and a familiar unwelcome face blocked the way.

"Hello, welcome to the first conquered land of the Reconquista," Fouquet laughed from atop her golem. Jumping down from the creations shoulder Fouquet thrust her wand forwards silently ordering the creature to attack the riders. Surging forwards with speed of an avalanche the golem charged the group.

The group split in two as everyone tried to dodge the mass of rubble. A few weren't quite successful and were unceremoniously crushed.

Henrietta and Louise moved to the left, around the golem. Louise raised her hand and shot off a small burst of fire aimed at the golem's 'eyes'.

The attack was about as effective as when Kirche had tried to burn a similar golem and spluttered out after a second.

"Aim for the mage!" Agnes cried to all ranged solders before drawing a pistol and following her own advice.

Fouquet ducked behind the raise front section of the crude wall to dodge the fire, both magical and gun fire.

A trio of earth mages worked together to throw rocks at the golem while its creator was distracted.

The one rock pulled from the ground was about the size of a horse that crashed into its leg staggering it.

Another group of mages rode around to launch another rock at the leaning rock pile laying it out flat on the ground. Fouquet moved back into sight to send part of the wall crashing down on the mages below.

"You ten," Henrietta ordered, "secure the golem, the rest charge."

As the solders moved to follow her orders Fouquet retreated off the wall and seemingly into the town center.

Henrietta rode at the front of the company in-between the buildings. Everything was quiet, the houses were empty and the expected invaders were nowhere to be seen.

Quickly moving deeper in they finally found someone else. The other company that had gone around the back had come forwards to meet in the middle.

"Have you seen anyone?" Henrietta demanded.

"No your highness," the captain of the group answered.

Agnes growled, "this is a trap, there's no one here."

A loud cry suddenly rang out from the back causing everyone to turn in time to see the distant figure of Fouquet closing the earthen wall behind them, those in the back could see her triumphant look lending credibility to Agnes's words.

Worriedly, the one and a half companies looked around, if this was a trap then where was the attack coming from?

Henrietta suddenly looked up in time to see a line of stars be born in a row along the side of three of the flying ships.

The crash and explosions as the cannon balls crashed into the men and buildings throwing up a terrible fountain of blood and dust, sending everyone into a panic.

In less than ten seconds the entire open area had become almost completely unrecognizable.

Horses ran and bucked trying to move, to get away from the loud explosions. Solders on the horses and on foot raced around trying to find a way out of the kill box.

Agnes raced over to Henrietta and Louise despite the panic all around them and grabbed the reigns. "This way," she called out authoritatively. The immediate group of ten around her smartened up a little and turned together to follow the group of three girls.

Above the canons fired again, more people died and more houses blew up. The church tower groaned and fell, ending a group of men on foot just behind Louise's group with a sickening crunch.

Quickly navigating the rubble and body parts strewn path they finally made it to the wall, looking at the wall Louise realized; they had thought it was to protect defenders but now she realized it was meant to be made to cage them.

"Anyone here a mage?" Agnes called out and was answered by two of their small group apart from Louise and Henrietta raising their hands.

"Make a hole," Agnes order.

The two set to work and soon had a hole large enough for the group to leave. "Louise," Agnes said turning to the pink mage, "I need you to get Henrietta to the hill and regroup with the first company, take the second with you. I'll stay here and get as many from the third company out as I can."

Louise nodded and pulled a protesting Henrietta out with her by the reigns.

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Kirche and Guiche watched in mute horror as they watched the airships fire down on the town. The one good thing they could see was the multitude of holes that were being made in the wall around it where the small figures of solders came running out of them.

One of the largest groups was coming towards them and the company that had remained outside the wall was quickly moving to catch up.

Kirche let out an honest to Brimir cry of joy when she saw Louise's pink hair in that group.

"Louise," she called breaking formation and riding over to them, "What happened? Why are those ships firing on everyone? Aren't their own men in there?" Her worries escaping her in a tangle of words.

Louise shook her head, "it was at trap, no one except for Fouquet was there."

Kirche glanced back at the town confusion evident in her look. Guiche however, asked the question on her mind, "Where are their ground forces? Did they only bring the dragon knights?"

Louise could only shrug in confusion.

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In the forest Dovahkiin followed her nose. She still found the experience confusing but she knew it was taking her where she needed to go.

Coming up to a large cluster of bushes, or maybe a small stand of trees, Dovahkiin peeked over the leafy group regardless of what it was and blinked at what she saw in front of her. A full company of men on horseback with a Platoon of men on foot were in the final stages of preparing to march.

Dovahkiin didn't need to see any identification to know that these were part of the Reconquista, the army she had been with was the only one Tristian had so far pulled together.

They couldn't be up to any good, this reeked of the missing ambush.

Oh what is a dragon to do?

Dovahkiin felt down right giddy as she crouched.

-[]-

Inside the unsuspecting company, the people under the command of Captain Althereze were waiting for their signal. The entire group was restless, horses stomped their hoofs and moved side to side while their inattentive riders preformed their own little rituals to prepare themselves.

Althereze's own ritual was grasping his sword hilt. He picked up this habit back on Albion when he didn't have any mages to work with. Mages were in his opinion; the best thing he could have in his group. They would demand to be in charge of some men, and those that were worth it greatly lessening the burden he had when given a leadership role and their magic would make everything much easier.

Triple checking everything again he remounted his own steed. "Sir, how long until we charge?" his second in command asked nervously. A rather new recruit his second, he was put in second because of his political connections rather than his skill.

Althereze sighed trying to ease his own tension, "I was told that a dragon would fly towards us to signal when we charge the remains of their army." he said to comfort both himself and the second.

"So would that be the signal?"

Althereze looked up to see a massive dragon appear over the trees. "I don't recognize it as one of the knights mount, but Tristian doesn't have any dragons of their own-"

 **ROORAAHHH!**

The dragon let loose a deafening shockwave of sound as it dove straight for Althereze and his men.

"IT'S NOT ONE OF OURS!" Althereze shouted and moved to get out of the way of attack.

 **"** **VEN GAAR NOS!"**

For a second Althereze thought it was toying with them as it flew by without apparently attacking them. Suddenly a burst of the strongest wind he had ever felt in his life picked him and almost a third of the company to toss them up into the air with a sudden tornado.

The men who didn't get picked up began to panic, there were almost no archers amongst the riders, that's what the men on foot were supposed to be used for and they had been hit the worst by the opening tornado.

Staggering to his knees Althereze started shouting, "TAKE IT DOWN!"

The men rushed to follow his orders.

The dragon came around before the few remaining archers could put arrow to string. **"You want me down, joor? I never thought you'd ask."** a voice called out as it passed overhead.

Althereze growled, the mage flying the dragon was mocking them, but he also started to feel the fear getting to him. A mage that wasn't afraid of leaving his or her dragon familiar to fight almost a full company had to be rather powerful, maybe it was Karin of the heavy winds.

The dragon came around, true to its mages word the dragon pulled itself into a sharp dive aimed right for the front. Althereze stood upright as it fell only to jump back onto his stomach as the dragon's dive created a large furrow in the ground with its passing.

Growling his frustration Althereze pushed himself back to his feet. All around him the host of solders were in disarray, many lay where they had been thrown, only half of the ones on the ground got up while the rest remained in their own growing pools of blood. The dragon this time had taken out a fourth of the horses. He hated how useless he was stuck on the ground.

Dovahkiin smirked, the archers were almost completely gone so she changed tactics, flying in low, she felt something akin to pleasure pulse though her as they screamed their fear of her approach.

Their fear flashed into confusion as she hovered just above them leering.

And then turned back into terror as she threw back her head on its long neck to take a long breath.

 **"** **FO KRAH DIIN!"**

Ice, something no one there could remember ever coming from a living creature, burst from her maw as she ended a large group of them with winters embrace.

Reviling in the screams, and squishing the part of her that cried out that this isn't something she should enjoy, she flew towards the back.

 **"** **YOL TOOR SHUL!"** While the front had felt winters kiss the other side had only enough time for one short scream as they felt the sun's own breath on them. Dovahkiin was especially thorough as she drew out the attack.

Dovahkiin felt the euphoria that had been glowing with the fire suddenly burst as if pierced by an arrow.

In fact, she had been shot by just such a thing, right in the side just under her wing. Roaring in pain her turned her silted eyes on the trembling joor with the bow.

His companions had been the first on foot to fall to her yet somehow he had survived, the insult to her might would need a special touch.

Crashing down just in front of his pathetic mortal frame, Dovahkiin flashed her head forwards and bit down on his upper body, teeth going almost completely though his body while the pressure from the bite crushed the bones caught in-between them. Needless to say he only screamed for a second.

Lifting her head Dovahkiin got her first taste of blood as it gushed out of the new corpse dying heart into her jaws. Shaking the body like a savage dog, she threw the remains into the trees.

The last remains of the once battle ready company and platoon, totaling three hundred men only minuets ago, ran for the fields hoping they could get back on the ships that had brought them here to escape the bloody beast.

Dovahkiin let them go she stood in a minor daze.

She could literally feel her human cares shift and dim as the taste of blood permeated her mouth, unconsciously her tongue flicked out and licked her scaled jaw.

'Ignore this,' the fading human part of her said, 'I need to fight, Louise and others could be in trouble.'

 **'** **Yes,'** agreed the growing part, **'let them know what happens to those who take what's ours.'**

Deciding to let the second voice lead, Dovahkiin leapt into the air and left the killing ground behind.

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The group of Kirche, Guiche, Louise, and Henrietta turned to the sound of horse beats. Out of the tree line came men on horses, Kirche started to panic, she knew these had to be the land solders of Reconquista coming to finish the survivors from the trap.

To her shock instead of a mighty host like she was expecting, only a small group cleared the trees. 'Did Reconquista miss judge the amount of people needed?' she wondered for a moment or two.

Then a familiar winged shape burst from the trees, Dovahkiin's scaled and bloody form brought her so much joy as it passed over the terrified horsemen on it's way to her.

The dragon crashed onto the ground in front of the group. Louise instantly jumped off her horse and raced towards her familiar. "Dovahkiin!" she cried out in joy, only to pull back as Dovahkiin snarled.

Frightening the small joor off, Dovahkiin finally had the room to call her minions. Beyond caring who saw.

 **"** **OD-AH-VIING!"**

 **"** **DUR-NEH-VIIR!"**

Henrietta and the others gasped as Dovahkiin snarled at Louise, then again as she raised her head into the sky to shout and then lowered it to shout at the ground. The three girls from the academy held their breaths as they eagerly waited to see what these unheard shouts would do.

A purple fog suddenly sprang into existence where Dovahkiin had shouted and was accompanied by a primal roar from the sky.

Eyes started from their heads as the smoke dissipated and a large, rotting, pale dragon was revealed.

And then a just as large, whole, red dragon landed next to it, throwing up stones from cracks that exploded outwards from its collision with the ground.

 **"** **Thurii,"** began the red, **"Why-"**

 **"** **Stut vok,"** hissed Dovahkiin throatily. Instantly the red fell silent. **"Mu los kriind fin nivzah dovah ko un lok,"** 'we are killing the false dragons in our sky' her mind said but the growing burn in her head altered her words.

Both dragons jerked their heads towards the skyline and growled as they saw both more airships, even worse they spied a dragon with a rider, the dragon was submitting to being a beast of burden instead dropping the joor like the lesser being it was.

 **"** **Nii gejahr zey voth jik wah hon hei saag tol, Kinbok"** Odahviing growled, 'it fills me with joy to hear you say that, my leader'

All the assembled gasped as the large dragons one at a time gracefully jumped into the air, even the rotting one was somehow graceful.

"Wait!" Louise shouted darting forwards. The dragons ignored her as they winged towards the fight.

-[]-

Tabitha maintained her composer as three dragons, two completely unknown to her, flew towards them.

 **"** **Vodahmaan daar gein, rek los vungol,"** Dove/Dovahkiin snapped at the other two flicking her head towards Tabitha. The dragons looked at her, confused as to why she would claim that one dragon and rider as hers, but shrugged it off as best they could and resumed their flight forwards.

The dragons blurred past Tabitha despite her whipping her head around trying to keep them in sight.

The dragons spilt the sky between themselves. The rotting one crashed onto the deck of the ship the griffin knights had been hacking at.

The sailors took one glance at the thing on their deck and raced each other for the door below deck.

 **"** **Liz-Slen-Nus!"** the men only made it ten or so feet before they were frozen solid. Durnehviir stomped his way through the newly created ice sculptures, taking joy as he crushed the people who dared to fly in his sky into piles of red snow.

-[]-

A group of dragon knights flying in formation each lifted their wands and aimed at the red dragon as it bore down on them. The dragons under their legs added their own fire to the grand fire spell all five of them created.

Odahviing simply closed his eyes and allowed the tiny flame to engulf him, **'Dovahkiin's first flame was hotter than this,'** he hissed in his head. Sucking air, he showed them true dragon's fire. **"YOL-TOOR-SHUL~"**

The group screamed as the first two dragons and riders were instantly cooked in their armor and the one behind them received second and third degree burns.

Odahviing grinned as he flew over the group, watching most of them drop like flies back to the hard ground they shouldn't have left in the first place.

Around him the men on ridiculous birds cheered and moved with him to attack the remaining fake dragons.

The blue dragon his Thurii had claimed flew by, on her back was an equally small joor.

"You lead the attack, I'll catch the strays," the small blue girl said in a surprisingly worldly voice.

Odahviing tilted his head in consideration than nodded and soared towards the largest group of weak dragons.

The entire flight reared back and belched fire, hoping that even greater numbers would work this time against the behemoth.

Odahviing felt a little warm for comfort but apart from that it was as largely ineffective as last time. He grinned when he saw their panic growing as he flew closer. It was good being the top predator.

-[]-

Dovahkiin breezed past the fight around the airship and moved towards the three other ships that were still circling the town of Tarbes.

At her approach one of the ships slowly broke off from the circle and maneuvered to face her broad side, attempting to line up a barrage of cannon fire.

Dovahkiin flew up, gaining altitude just to lose it in a dive towards the ships starboard side.

CRSH

The entire ship listed to the side as she burst through the hull, she didn't have enough momentum to go all the way through but she did manage to get into the gun deck.

Men directly in front of the ships new hole were either blown backwards or crushed by her explosive entrance. Further along the line men ran like chickens with their heads cut off as they tried to pick up weapons or raced to get above deck.

Swinging her head around she snapped up a joor delighting in the coppery taste of blood on her teeth as she ended him.

Glancing down the line of cannons she was delighted to see a small stack of barrels. The only thing that would need to be in barrels on this deck would be gun powder for the cannons.

-[]-

In the near distance Tabitha surveyed the destruction. The red dragon had taken out most of the dragon knights while the white-gray one tore the ship apart and was moving towards to join the fight with Dovahkiin.

A sudden explosion came from the trio of ships that had yet to be attacked by their forces apart from Dovahkiin.

Glancing over she saw some of the port holes on an out of formation ship glow with deep orange fire, something must be burning.

The deck suddenly burst upwards into the air as Dovahkiin rent her way up through the decking and onto the ship top. She twisted and bit at someone she couldn't see from where she sat on Sylphid before shouting fire at the aft deck of the ship and bringing the main sail down with a sweep of her tail.

Watching Dovahkiin turn the mighty airship into so much rubble was awe inspiring and made Tabitha feel something odd, she wasn't sure what it was just yet but she was sure that she was going to meditate on it with Dove later.

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In the flagship, Cromwell and Wardes watched from a balcony at the aft deck as Louise's familiar turned the ship 'the revenge' into rubble that quickly started falling out of the sky.

Wardes felt anger pulse though him. 'If only Louise had remained under the ring a little longer, then that dragon could have been ours,' he thought clenching his hands into fists.

"So this is the dragon familiar," Cromwell said watching the dragon jump off the falling vesicle and into the air again. The white one was moving towards the largest remaining ship apart from his own flag ship.

"It would appear so," Wardes answered calmly, "we need to get rid of it now."

Cromwell nodded. "Maybe if we destroy it we can get the void mage away from the group and capture her," 'almost nothing else had gone to plan except for the trap in the town' he thought knowing they needed to win something from this battle if only for moral.

"I thought those other two were the woman Dove's... Ah, subjects," Cromwell felt for the right term while leaning over the rail in an attempt to get a better look at the other two beasts.

Wardes perked up, "that is what Fouquet said, she must be somewhere nearby."

Cromwell smirked at Wardes eager expression, "then draw your lady out, Sir Wardes, attack the dragon familiar."

"Yes my lord."

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Dovahkiin hovered midair as she watched the helpless joor scurry about the doomed ship as it fell.

It was pure bliss to remove the… you know she didn't have a word to describe the thing that until recently was in her sky. The blissful feelings emanating from the taste her mouth were too great for her to form more than one or two coherent thoughts at a time.

Turning, she faced the other two ships flying over the town. She angled her wings and started another attack on the ships.

A scent hit her nose, for some reason she couldn't fathom, it drove her into an almost blind rage. 'It's joor, male, and fills me with rage,' she analyzed her reaction to the scent as she turned towards it.

A new dragon was flying towards her from the larger of the two ships, it looked like a black version of Sylphid and on its back was a man with a ridiculous hat, missing a side burn.

 ** _Wardes._**

The name oozed though her mind, burning rage and spitting fire at any other conscious thought.

Dovahkiin didn't even waste energy on a roar as she changed direction and dove at him.

Wardes gaped, he rode on a wind dragon, one of the fastest breeds in the realm yet that dragon was dropping towards him like a comet.

Jerking on the reigns he pulled the beast under him into a quick dive. Wind whipped past him and took off his hat as the dragon's jaws narrowly missed him.

Twisting in the saddle he pointed his sword wand at the back of the dragon and shot his famous lightning at its backside.

The lightning struck and the dragon roared in rage and pain while Wardes grinned in delight at the sound.

The delight was short lived as the dragon flew up and twisted around, opening its jaws.

 **"** **KRII-LUN-AUS!"**

Instead of the expected fire or ice, Wardes was shocked to see a wave of purple burst from the dragon's maw and race towards the unprepared mage. Snapping out of his surprise, he was unable to duck in time, the smoke completely enveloped Wardes and he held his breath as he waited for the smoke to clear.

Finally, free he glanced around, wondering what happened. Glancing around showed nothing different but looking at his hands showed them marked with purple lines. Instantly he tried rubbing the marks only to stop and let out a hacking cough. 'Could it have poisoned me?' Wardes thought franticly as he caught sight of the dragon flying overhead.

For a dragon it looked almost smug.

Gritting his teeth Wardes kicked his mount into high gear after the dragon.

Dovahkiin soared upwards before letting herself lose momentum and feel the pull of gravity, as she was pulled down she aimed towards her target. As if accommodating her intent, Wardes was flying right towards her.

Smirking she pulled her wings in tighter, nearing her target. Within a hundred meters she started to shout.

 **"** **FUS-"**

Wardes leaned forwards in this saddle, the other dragon was going up so really he was standing 'upright' in the saddle.

 **"** **RO-"**

They were only fifty meters and closing quickly. Wardes thrust his sword forwards, lightning striking upwards and towards Dovahkiin's face.

Dovahkiin ducked and felt the tingle as the lightning passed along her spine, just missing her body.

 **"** **DAH!"**

The black wind dragon roared in agony as the burst of smoke like vaper crashed into its body with such an intense downward force that it literally snapped the bones in its shoulders rendering it's wings useless. Continuing to shriek it's pain the dragon fell.

Wardes on the other hand was thrown from the saddle due to his stretched position when the wave hit. On the way out his leg had gotten caught in the stirrup and was twisted on the way off.

Crying out with the pain, a less intense but rather similar sound to his fallen mount, he pointed his wand at the ground. Casting a levitation spell he actually managed to slow his descent until it was as slow as a puffball on the breeze.

Breathing deeply, he focused on what to do next.

The hacking cough suddenly caught him off guard and he dropped a good ten meters before he caught himself again. 'Blasted dragon,' he snarled to himself.

The dragon in question was making a slow circle overhead, like a hawk looking for prey.

Wardes glanced up, breathing harshly despite the pain as adrenaline coursed through him, and focused on it just in time to see it dive.

Straight for him.

He lifted his sword wand and instantly dropped again, growling he realized that he couldn't maintain the levitation spell and defend against the dragon at the same time.

Taking a risk, he let the levitation spell go and gravity reassert itself. Aiming up he started peppering the sky with blasts of wind. Arrows of air sliced upwards only to miss or dissipate after only scratching the dragon's scales. The air just lost too much momentum and became too blunt before reaching the dragon to hurt it.

As the dragon neared in its dive Wardes suddenly pushed outwards with his wand hoping to change his own trajectory a little bit.

The thrust pushed back against him and instead of pushing him away from the dragon's line of attack it sent him twisting him like a pinwheel. Wardes screamed in actual terror as the emotion settled in his gut.

Suddenly the spinning stopped and Wardes cut off his scream with a grunt as he could see straight again. Looking down his body he felt like screaming again, a set of jaws had clamped down on his right leg drawing blood and now he was flying towards the ground faster than before.

Dovahkiin crashed into the ground uncaring of the burden that flopped around and sprayed blood in her teeth. Wardes bounced around like a fish, suspended by his leg over the ground certain that his hips were broken by the landing.

He gave a surprised shriek as the dragon dropped him and the impact with the ground confirmed that his hips were disjointed. Looking up he stared at the dragons leering visage.

 **"** **Faas-Maar-Viir"**

A sickly green smoke issued from the dragon's mouth. Unable to move Wardes watched as the smoke engulfed him.

Those watching from the side would have noticed that as soon as the smoke cleared, Wardes eyes became dull, the light seemed to leave him for a second before he screamed for all he's worth.

aaaAAA **AAAAA** ** _AAAAA_** ** _AAAAAAHHHH!_**

His terror filled sound actually dwarfed Dovahkiin's own roar as she reared up, and back down to tear Wardes in half with her teeth.

Dovahkiin jerked her head back to snap up the man's torso, succulently enjoying the traitor.

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Cromwell stared at the scene bellow, feeling all blood leave his face. He was still standing on the decking of his flagship and leading his forces but he was beginning to panic over the results around him.

The battle had gone according to plan in the beginning, his trap in the town had been, in his humble opinion, a stroke of pure genius.

Then all that he needed to do was continue the fight in the sky, the dragon knights would outlast the weaker griffins, and attack with the ground forces from the woods to mop up all that remained. A simple plan with an easy victory, that's what he wanted and that's what he had started to get.

The trouble had started when the void mage's familiar had appeared over the trees where he had the mop up troops stationed. He had instantly known that he wouldn't be seeing those troops again.

As he watched the white one smashed into the last ship, spelling destruction for the ship just like the last two.

On top of that, it had brought two others to fight, an ability Fouquet had said that woman Dove could do that as well.

Needless to say, he needed to remove the dragons if anything was to be gained.

Or

He could use the dragons.

Glancing down he found the answer on his hand. The ring of Andvari could control the actions of even the most powerful of mages, surly it would work on a powerful but 'simple' minded beast like a dragon.

"Bring us out of the encirclement," he ordered the captain, "we're going after the dragon that just downed Wardes."

The man looked absolutely terrified, "my lord," he started, "that thing took out one of our ships single handedly, how will we fare any better against it?"

Cromwell smiled grandfatherly at the sailor. "We will use the direct power Brimir's sacred ring," he assured him by lifting the ring to let its glow be seen, "nothing can stand against the might of Brimir."

The captain stared in awe at the ring, he had seen it's light during one of Cromwell's speeches back in old Albion, but to see it up close was even more incredible. 'Who am I to doubt,' the thought rose in his head while his eyes dimmed watching the square stones glow.

"Aye my lord. MEN, MOVE US TO ATTACK THE DRAGON ON THE GROUND, DOUBBLE TIME IT!"

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Dovahkiin licked her jaws, delighting in the taste of blood and flesh, she was coming to associate the taste with how people described revenge.

A tiny voice in her whimpered something about 'inhuman actions' and 'being sick' but she ignored it, happy to receive this vengeance.

As if eager to be her next meal, a ship moved towards her.

Lifting her head, she roared a challenge at the ship before taking to the air, leaving Warde's remains in favor of the new target.

Gaining altitude, she started making her way towards the ship, distant thoughts dissecting it and considering the most effective way to destroy it.

The ship was almost twice the size of the other ship, as befitting the flag ship of a fleet, her improvised strategy of burning the gunpowder wouldn't produce enough heat to work this time around.

As she started towards the ship it turned to give a broadside, canons started firing.

Dovahkiin dodged down as the heavy metal rounds fired though the air. None came close to hitting her but the sound of something moving through the air that fast would be absolutely terrifying to a lessor being, for a dragon like her, it was merely annoying.

Between volley Dovahkiin moved closer, flying directly over head as she looked for a vulnerable place to breach.

unbeknownst to her, the next volley had been loaded with shot instead of balls.

Finding nothing of note from above, Dovahkiin soared down to check the hull from bellow.

BOOM!

The canons fired at once.

Dovahkiin had been expecting to have to dodge more canon fire it but was most certainly not expecting the loud crack of relatively small balls flying instead of the normal cannonball, nor was she expecting the burning pain that bloomed over her body.

If she had come from the same world as the staff of destruction she would have compared this new canon fire to large 'shotgun' blasts.

Dovahkiin lost a lot of height as she took stock of where the pain came from; her wings were peppered with new holes, the scales along her back and neck had deflected most of the shots but felt like they were heavily bruised, and her side had been punctured at least five times all in the lower section of her body.

It hurt.

Instead of using restoration magic like she normally would have, Dovahkiin roared and shot back up into the sky, approaching the ship from bellow.

 **"** **YOL TOOR SHUL!"**

Dovahkiin belched forth fire as she made her way up from below. The problem with this was that the ship kept on moving. If her flames had more than three seconds of continuous burning on one spot than she would have made a hole in the hull, as it was she only made it hard to walk on the lowest level of the ship.

Angry at so little damage, Dovahkiin moved up again, careful to avoid the side of the ship and came out in front of the vessel.

The first thing to greet her eyes was a bright purple light.

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Cromwell strode to the front of his ship, looking like a saint on his way to fight and win against the worlds demons. Inside he was screaming his head off in terror.

But he had faith in the ring.

As the dragon burst out from under his ship right in front of his position at that prow, he lifted the sacred ring and called forth it's power.

Dovahkiin saw the world go black, she stopped moving in the black only instinctual hovering kept her in the air at all. The only source of light was the bright purple light that blotted everything else out of existence.

Cromwell smirked, his fear left him as he saw the dragon's eyes dim, just like the void mages had. "Turn and burn the army of Tristian," he hissed.

Dovahkiin heard the order, and rejected it. Instantly thousands of glass shards burned their way into her head and she screamed in pain.

The dragon was fighting, Cromwell moved his other hand to clutch his right one just under his wrist. "Burn the army of Tristan, burn for your master!" he shouted at the disobedient lizard.

Dovahkiin could feel the pain increase again as the order reached her, she almost obeyed until a deep voice suddenly called out to her, **'what right does this joor have to order you? You are the daughter of Akatosh, god of such powerful things like time and the sun. That little trinket in his hand isn't going to best the grandest of all dovah is it?'**

Dovahkiin snarled and felt the burning lessen as the voice spoke. It was right, she was the grandest of all dragon kind, a ring wouldn't beat her now or ever.

Cromwell gaped as he saw the dragon snarl and actually start physically fight his orders. This should be impossible, his fear started to grow again as the dragon's fighting got even more erratic. Going to plan B, "Bring me a canon!" he shouted over his shoulder at the watching sailors.

The frightened sailors hurried to obey, in only thirty seconds they had a canon set up next to the 'holy' man. Dovahkiin's flailing around scraped the hull directly in front of her and she clutched it, clawed toes digging into the wood as her wings dug into the planking, spreading her over the front of the ship like a, blind, terrifying, backwards figurehead.

"Fire!" Cromwell shouted as he dropped his hand, ending the spell, and raced out of there without a shred of shame at his less than dignified retreat away from the dragon.

-[]-

Dovahkiin's eyes cleared and she looked around as if to orient herself. Her eye's caught sight of the canon.

BOOM!

The canon fired, only ten feet from her face.

Desperately she dodged, she was fast enough to detach her claws and dive to the side, but not quite fast enough to completely dodge the attack.

The heavy cannonball plowed into her shoulder, through her collar bone and lodged somewhere on top of her right lung.

Pain so incredible that it temporarily blotted out every other sense filled her from her shoulder. Her right wing went instantly limp and the whooshed unnaturally straight up as wind from her uncontrolled descent blew it sky-high. The rest of her fell, twisting mid air like a corkscrew as shock set in.

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Louise kicked her horse, the princess's cry to stop was unheard as she rode for the falling figure of her familiar. "DOVAHKIIN!" she shouted as she went, getting closer and closer to where her dragon was going to hit the ground.

'Rule of steel.' She thought trying to drown the heart stopping terror she felt watching her familiar fall.

THUD

Dovahkiin hit the ground less than a hundred meters from where Louise was currently causing a minor earthquake on impact and she corrected her course to reach her familiar's side with all speed.

When she arrived she could only stare in mute horror as she saw her familiar, the landing had done more damage than the cannonball; her right with was broken in so many pieces that she was afraid no amount of magic could fix it, the hole in her collar/shoulder area was three inches in diameter and gushed blood at an insane rate, there were smaller spots of blood on her left side where the shot had breached her scales and there was an arrow sticking out of her left shoulder.

Louise jumped off the horse and fell to her knees by the dragon's head, "Dovahkiin, can you hear me?" she asked, her voice tremoring. 'Rule of steel.'

"Hey partner?" Derf voiced his own concern from Louise's saddle, "you feeling alright? You don't look to good."

The great lizards eye blinked, her head shifted to fix an eye on Louise, **"Small mage,"** she breathed brokenly.

Louise sucked air in quick deep breaths, 'rule of steel'.

"Are you alright," she asked, 'stupid question,' she thought instantly, 'she has a-, there in no way she's feeling alright.'

 **"** **It's getting dark. Did Akatosh, decide to, lower the sun?"**

Louise blinked, she hadn't been expecting that, glancing up she frowned. "It's not dark Dove," with no one around she could use Dovahkiin's humanoid name. "In fact it's only around two in the afternoon," it seemed like both moments ago, or was it months ago? That it was eleven am and they were arriving at Tarbes.

 **"** **Dark,"** Dove hissed.

Louise looked Dove in the eye, there was something, some white film thickening over them. "DOVE DON'T!" Louise screamed, terror flooding her as she noticed the film thickening and how large the blood pond was getting.

Dove weakly tilted her head in confusion. Too weak to ask "don't what?" but the question plain on her face.

Louise ran towards her horse and pulled potion after potion they had gathered on the way to the palace, from a saddle bag. Grabbing the largest red bottle, she ran back to Dove and forced her jaws open, uncaring of anything that smeared on her hands and cloths, and started pouring its contents down the dragon's throat.

Dove actually chocked on the drink, spluttering and letting most of it drip out from her weak lips instead of getting any of it down.

"Come on Dove," Louise cried, "use your healing spells, do something! Please!"

Dovahkiin slowly blinked incoherently at the loud mage, 'she isn't making sense' Dovahkiin thought tiredly, 'maybe a nap would help.'

"DOVE DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES!" Louise shouted in the dragons face.

Dovahkiin sighed wearily, but didn't close her eyes.

It didn't matter either way, since the dark had now completely fallen over the dragon, folding her into sleep whether she liked it or not and saving her from hearing Louise's screams and from seeing the resulting explosion of pure white light.

* * *

 **See ya.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Dear readers.**

 **we are gather here to celebrate the life of Dove the Dovahkiin.**

 **the voice in my head.**

 **She was a creation for a cross over between Skyrim and Familiar of zero that seeks no financial recompense because it isn't owned by me**

 **may she rest in peace.**

* * *

 **Gosh that was hard.**

 **Turn out my family is moving and need me to drive**

 **it took a lot of my time**

 **that's why it took me this long to rewrite this page**

 **So just to let you know,**

 **Akatosh's forced breeding idea has been crushed.**

 **Thank you to all fifty+ who reviewed**

* * *

Dove sighed, she knew she was dead.

It might be a little hard for her to remember what happened during the last thirty minutes of fighting, but she was sure she had died. Unconsciously, she rubbed her shoulder as she remembered the strange breathless weight of the cannonball resting on her lungs.

Now she was standing in the middle of a dimly lit room. The room was about twenty feet by thirty feet stone walls all the way around and everything was hard to see, almost indistinct like seen through smoke, the floors were hard wood without knots and the air had a touch of that fortifying cold Skyrim was known for.

"What now?" Dove mused out loud as she picked at the simple brown mages robe she found herself wearing. Maybe she could try to find her way to Sovngarde she thought. But she had died in Louise's world, her… realm? Dimension? It didn't matter anymore. If she died in Louise's world than wasn't this Louise's heaven? How was she going to find her way back 'home' from here?

"An interesting question, Dovahkiin," a deep voice from behind her caused Dove to jump and turn. "One of the most important questions a person could ask," the voice said as Dove located the speaker.

Behind her was an older looking gentlemen, there wasn't much else that could be used to describe him, the older man had long hair and beard/moustache, both of which were a light golden blond color. His bearing and bone structure marked him as a Nord but his rich brown robes, inlayed with a rearing golden dragon across the stomach and a gray neckline, marked him as a wealthy scholarly mage, something of an oddity for a Nord.

"Who are you?" Dove asked calmly, he didn't look like how Arkay* was depicted and she assumed he should have be the one to pick up a lost soul like her.

"I am your father," the old man said calmly in a deep voice.

"Bull shite," Dove growled crossing her arms.

'Father' sighed, "I can understand your confusion, both of your mortal parents are still alive and I don't look like either of them. However, I want you to remember what makes you different from others."

Dove rolled her eyes, "I don't need a stick to cast magic, so you aren't related to me Brimir."

The man blinked, "you think I'm, 'Brimir'?"

"Of course," Dove shrugged, "I died in Louise's world and the only god I heard preached there was Brimir so you must be him, come to pass my soul on to wherever mages in your land go when they die. Well, jokes on you, I'm not one of your mages so I don't go where you want me to."

The man stared at her for a good thirty seconds before breaking out into loud, booming laughter.

Dove found her own lips twitching into a smile at the infectious sound despite who was making it.

Finally, the old man stopped. "Child," he continued sagely, "I'm not an arrogant upstart mage turned into a god figure head by mortals. I am Akatosh, the father of your dragon soul."

"Oh."

Dove didn't know what else to say.

"Uh, hi," that wasn't any better.

Akatosh for his part just smiled at his youngest stumbling for words. "Come, sit," he gestured to a small table and two chairs that hadn't been there before.

Dove walked over and sat down. She sucked in a breath and focused on something simpler, like her immediate surroundings, instead of the god sitting across from her. "Where am I?"

"One of the places where my children can go while they wait for resurrection," Akatosh said as he followed and sat down regally. "This one however was made just for you."

So much for simpler.

"Okay, my corner in the land of dragon dead. What do you mean by 'resurrection'?" Dove narrowed her eyes, pondering every possible interpretation of the phrase.

"You don't need to over think it," Akatosh reassured her with a knowing smile, "When a dragon dies what happens?"

"They die and their soul gets eaten by the one who killed him," Dove answered, "or rather that's what happens with me, but I'm the dragon born so, I'm not entirely sure what happens when a dragon is killed by a more ordinary, simple person."

Akatosh nodded, "When one of my children dies they are brought to my realm until of their brothers can resurrect them. Dragons can kill and consume their siblings but approaching one of the fallen doesn't mean anything, and they don't gain from it if they don't defeat him with their own talons."

Dove blinked, "I see. What does that mean for me? I'm not a dragon except for in spirit."

"The spirit is all that counts in dragon terms," Akatosh reassured her.

Dove perked up, "So I'm going to be resurrected? Does that mean I'm immortal?"

"I can tell if your immortal or not, if you let me check," Akatosh answered the second half of Dove's question first before he answered the first. "If any of your brothers were nearby when you fell," Akatosh said with a nod.

Dove frowned, "Brothers?"

"Other dragons," Akatosh supplied.

"Ah," Dove said, feeling a little odd about thinking about dragons as family. "Well then, I'll guess I'll just have to wait for Odahviing or Durnhviir to resurrect me," Dove mused, dropping the odd feelings for now and suddenly feeling relieved instead.

Akatosh blinked in surprise and eyed his youngest, "Odahviing, Durnhviir? Were they near where you fell? I was sure Sheogorath had sent you to another dimension."

"He did," Dove said, "I can summon them to me since they know me, and can follow my voice."

Akatosh raised an eyebrow, "interesting." He mused, "It is considered bad form to encroach on other dimensions by spreading demigods across them. How all three of you were able to come and go?"

Dove shrugged unsure how or why Sheogorath did lots of things, "Really? Bad form with who?"

"The other Divines," Akatosh said simply, trying to avoid mentioning the multiverse to his daughter.

"Other divines? Like the gods of other worlds in the multiverse?" Dove asked.

Akatosh nodded absent mindedly in agreement then blinked, he really didn't expect Dove to know about that.

Something of his surprise was obviously on his face because Dove smiled. "I found an air ship the like of which I have never seen before, it also isn't something someone in this world or any other realm I know would make, so it must have come from another world, implying that there must be a multiple of other worlds," smirked as she explained her logic.

Akatosh smiled weakly and rubbed his head. "Could you please keep the fact that I confirmed that to you quiet?" He asked.

"Why?" Dove frowned.

"Because it's so much fun to watch mortals try and figure out how to prove that a multiverse exists," Akatosh said quickly, "It's one of the highest forms of entertainment we gods have and it would ruin the fun if the others knew a demigod had figured it out."

Dove blinked at the overly anxious god. "Alright," she said after a moment.

Akatosh sighed in relief. "Now," he said looking at Dove, "it is rather fortunate that you died when you did, I have been meaning to talk to you."

Dove frowned as she looked at Akatosh expectantly.

"I know you are aware of all the dragons that have died," Akatosh said with a sad frown.

"I only killed those that came after me," Dove interjected her defense, sorrowfully thinking of all the dragons she had killed. 'Brothers,' an unintentional voice in her head interjected into her thoughts and she looked down, actually mourning some of those she had killed.

Akatosh nodded, "I know, I was thinking about the minor reign of my eldest that caused you to fight with the others and then that ravenous joor, Miraak." He looked at Dove, "I have been trying to think of a way to bring the dragons back from their approaching extinction."

"Really?" Dove asked eagerly, "is there anything I can do to help?" She felt the sudden need to atone for killing and consuming the souls of her brothers.

Akatosh smiled happily, "thank you, I have two options, well, really only one. When I created you soul I had my wife, Mara change your destiny to be that of a woman."

Dove frowned, "Mara, the mother-goddess and the goddess of love, helped you make me female. That explains why I don't exactly match the Nords fanticy of what the Dragon born would look like. The question now is, why?"

"When I made the dragons," Akatosh started, "I was so impressed with them that I didn't think to make any females, they were immortal anyway so it didn't matter."

"And now you have," Dove picked up the thought, "when it became apparent that they were dying out. Tell me you don't want to breed me like a mare."

"Not like you think," Akatosh jumped in, "I was thinking about you having children, but not breeding like a horse. I was thinking that you have a better chance of breeding and creating dragons then the entirely of your brothers."

Dove raised an eyebrow expectantly, "Why not just create more dragons?"

Akatosh sighed, "I cannot create life."

Dove growled as she looked at the god questioningly.

"When Nirn was created, we Aedra gave up a lot of our own powers." Akatosh explained, "You could say we gave so much that we are shadows of our former selves."

"We are still more powerful than anything in all the realms," he growled quickly then continued in a softer tone, "but a few rules were added so as not to strain ourselves. One such rule is that when we create something from nothing, it has to be imbued with a little bit of ourselves."

Dove frowned, "your loosing me. How does this relate to your 'not going to breed you Dove' stance?"

"Simply put if we make something from our power it has to hold distinctive characteristics of the Aedra who made it," Akatosh summed up. "When I made the dragons they were male because I'm male, being male was something obscure that marked them as my children."

"Apart from the fact that they're dragons, just like your other shape," Dove quipped bitingly.

Akatosh laughed unsteadily, "that was basic arrogance, I wanted my sons to look just like their 'Oldman'."

"Back on topic, I would need to gain help from a female Aedra for this plan. With Maras help I made you a female dragon in soul," Akatosh said. "If most of the dragons were going to die because of my mistake, I wanted my children and grandchildren to not have to worry about that."

"Get to the point," Dove snapped, not liking how Akatosh seemed to be stalling.

"I made it so that your children would also be dragon borns," Akatosh snapped, angry at Dove's tone. "All of your children would be the new dragons, they might not have my most powerful shape but they would be basically dragons and free from the fear and persecution that mortals felt for and did to their uncles."

Dove's jaw dropped for a second, 'if all my children were as strong as dragons…' she was both exited and nervous about what that could cause.

"All of those who came before you who had the power of a dragon didn't have the ability of passing it on, even though the septum line was said to have dragon blood, they didn't have the dragon soul," Akatosh said, "that would be yours alone. I didn't plan on breeding you, I assumed that you would want to find someone yourself."

"you said there were two options?" Dove asked, wanting there to be no confusion.

"The second option is basically the first option," Akatosh said, "only with you marrying one of your brothers."

Dove gaped again, this time in revolution. "You just told me that they are my brothers, my family, and one of your options is incest?!" Dove cried.

Akatosh raised a consoling hand, "That is the only way to create more 'proper' dragons, in both body and soul that way they can then breed and continue the dine of dragons if you have a daughter." He had mentioned it just to let her know her options, but the look on her face told him how likely that option was going to be.

"That's just sick in my opinion," Dove stated.

Akatosh smiled, "exactly why I didn't think it was much of an option, even if it would have insured that there are functioning female dragon heirs so I don't have to worry about over some random zealous dragon borns, like those that started the blades, ending my family."

Akatosh stood and walked towards one of the far walls, "Come with me," he said over his shoulder, "I'll show you the rest of the house.

-[]-

To Doves surprise the wall changed from stone blocks into a heavy wooden door with iron bindings as they approached the wall. The doors opened inwardly without a sound as the two of them neared to reveal a stone passage that disappeared into the distance. Doors branched off here and there and Akatosh started pointing out interesting features in the rooms they passed, including a pool with a library.

"What now?" Dove asked ignoring the rooms, instead she mused and she followed Akatosh down the corridor. "Am I supposed to find some guy and get knocked up asap or something?" she snorted, "Raising young in Louise's world where there isn't already a dedicated dragon killing group would probably be most beneficial in that case."

"I agree that it would be have been safer for her to grow up here rather than back in Skyrim," Akatosh said, "but one good thing about creatures like us is that we have a few centuries until we might consider mating, so there is no rush to find a nest yet."

"Yes," he noticed the look Dove shot at him at his confirmation, "You are immortal. I guess that I forgot to tell you what my examination told me with everything else going on."

Dove frowned and walked in silence for a bit, it was a lot to take in. "… I have no words."

"A common reaction to becoming immortal," Akatosh assured in an amused voice, "You should have seen when Talos became a divine. I thought he was going to turn to stone with how long just stood there gaping."

They had reached another door just like the first one set into a wall to their left before Akatosh could answer, he stopped at it and raised his arm.

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Louise sat there numb as her vision returned to her. Dovahkiin's body lay at her feet.

Looking at her hands, on some level she noticed the blood staining them, but the level she was focusing on was trying to figure out how they had caused the flash of light moments ago. 'What was that?' she wondered for a second before a loud sound rent the air.

Looking up she gasped as the flagship above her started listing. Fire visibly burning the deck and smoke billowing from large cracks in the hull. The screams of sailors were distinct as they were either burned to death or jumped from the wreckage to fall to their death.

Reacting on instinct, Louise threw herself over Dovahkiin's head. Gaining more blood stains as she watched the ship come crashing down a quarter mile from where she lay and sending vibrations that shook her to her to her marrow through the ground.

Stunned by the pain of loss and the last few minutes stilled Louise as she just lay there staring at the burning ship, the image engraving itself into her mind.

She lay there as time passed.

"Louise?" a voice eventually came from behind her but she didn't move to look.

"Louise, are you, okay?"

Louise stiffened as whose voice it was penetrated her mind, and turned to glare at the purple haired girl. "No I'm not, I should have been with my familiar, I should have been with Dovahkiin when she needed me. Now shes-" Louise cut off into a choked sob that her rule of steel couldn't stop.

"I'm sorry," her friend said looking down and starting to cry alongside the pink mage, "I shouldn't have ordered you to my side, blame me, I'm the reason you weren't with her when-"

"Your highness," Louise interrupted Henrietta, "Thank you, but you couldn't have known that she would attack a ship all by herself. I should have insisted on being with my familiar when you placed me but I didn't, I'm the one at fault."

Louise finally started crying and Henrietta quickly followed as she dismounted from her stead and hugged her ashamed friend.

-[]-

A roar caused both girls jump and look into the sky. Coming down on the both of them were the two dragons Dovahkiin had summoned.

Before they arrived, the white one vanished into purple smoke leaving the red one to land softly beside them.

 **"What is this?"** The red dragon spoke looking pointedly at the blue-green body, surprising Henrietta but for some reason Louise suspected he could speak their language.

"Dovahkiin has fallen," Louise summed up trying to ignore the pain that welled up fresh at her words.

Odahviing moved over and sniffed at Louise and Dovahkiin's head. **"How did this happen? How did my Thurii die?"** he growled looking at them.

Henrietta spoke first, summing everything up quickly like removing a Band-Aid. "I ordered her to fight with the griffin knights separate from her master, Louise, and she perished when she attacked the enemy flagship head on."

 **"She always raced towards the largest group or the strongest of foes, rather like a child at a fair,"** Odahviing observed calmly, trying to dumb down his speech for the joors.

Henrietta blinked and Louise quirked her head. "How long did you know Dovahkiin? Who are you? How did you even get here?" Louise asked feeling a bit of sadness that Dovahkiin hadn't told her about these two before. The sadness was still eclipsed by the pain she was feeling at her loss but it was still there anyways.

 **"I am Odahviing, and you could say I am Dovahkiin's family,"** Odahviing said sure that the simple joor wouldn't understand the full definition of a thurri.

Louise gasped and bowed her head. "I'm sorry for your loss, I should have protected your… sister better," she apologized.

 **"Um, don't worry,"** Odahviing said awkwardly unsure of how to say this, **"the first time you die is always strange but you get used to it."**

Both girls jerked their heads up to stare at the dragon. "The first time?" Henrietta asked, Louise was to shocked by this to respond.

 **"We are the children of Akatosh,"** Odahviing explained, **"the children of the god of time, fragments of his power, when we die we can be resurrected by one of our brethren."**

Louise jumped on the dragon's words like a starving woman at a feast. "Could you, please, bring her back?" tears flowing down her face at the desperate hope.

 **"Of course, she is my Thurii after all,"** Odahviing said and grinned at their faces when he used a confusing word.

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Dove followed Akatosh as he led her down the hall. Dove glanced out as they passed open doors and the occasional window.

Outside as far as she could tell was a large Plato with snowcapped peaks surrounding it. The sky was an oddity, it had the normal blue color but it was also streaked with ribbons of pure gold and white. Like the lights that showed up sometimes in Skyrim's sky only in different shades of gold and white.

"Before you leave," Akatosh said coming to a grand door at the far end, "I want you to know that this door leads to the rest of my realm, you are welcome to explore at your convenience. I would suggest you remain in your mortal form within your building but the outside can only be properly enjoyed by a true Dovah."

"Why are you doing all this," Dove asked forgetting to ask how she was supposed to get back here at all.

"It's rather simple," Akaosh said, "you are the strongest of my children. You have proven that time and time again." He shifted to look from the door to her eyes, "As I have always taught my sons, the most powerful deserves to be the leader and gets the best of things."

Dove snorted as she thought about how likely it was that that way of thinking had brought the dragon-human war. She realized that, apart from the instinctual reasons, this male could be blamed for causing the events that forced her to save the world the first time.

Akatosh grinned cheekily as he detected his daughter's thoughts. "That reason is why I'm giving you this haven, should the worst come, you can fly here and be safe, like how Alduin retreated to Sovngarde. Don't worry about inconsequence details like how you get here, just fly and let instinct take over."

Dove shivered, ignoring the vague instructions for something else. "I don't want instinct to take over," she said, "What if I lose who I am? I… ate someone." Suddenly it was like a great weight had landed on her as the entirety of the battle and the magnitude of the last few minutes overwhelmed her.

"I'm a monster," she whispered and felt herself sinking to the ground.

Akatosh watched as his youngest tried to come to terms with herself. "you're only a monster if you consider yourself one," he said watching for her reaction.

"Or if you enjoy _eating_ men," Akatosh started to smirk before Dove shot up and grabbed him by his beard. "Don't you **dare**!" she placed extra emphasis on the 'dare,' "Make light about this."

Akatosh was about to answer her when a burst of light erupted from the ground and what looked like flecks of star light raced to the ceiling from under Dove's feet and forced Akatosh back as if it was a gust of unfelt wind.

Akatosh and Dove looked down. "I guess I'll have to give you words of advice later," Akatosh sighed, "for now, you're resurrecting, ask one of your joor friends to comfort you."

Dove was about to gripe when the light grew brighter to her eyes and Akatosh was left along in Dove's hall.

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Louise and Henrietta watched slack jawed as the dragon Odahviing leapt into the air coming to hover just in front of Dovahkiin's body.

He threw back his head and shouted at the sky. The words he shouted were unintelligible to the mages but they could feel the raw power coming from the dragon. The world seemed to shift to their eyes, the sky turned overcast and it felt like waves of wind buffeted the clouds causing them to race.

Then a stream of what could only be described as star dust crashed down on the fallen dragon. The dust glowed like burnished silver but was also flecked with dark smoke that flew past the silver, racing the sparks to reach the dragon, concentrating on any where there was blood.

Next Odahviing threw back his head again and this time the spell didn't sound like words at all, it was just a roar mixed of equal parts primal desire and thunder crash.

At his call a rope of gold burst from the sky to join the stream going towards the body, quickly out pacing the black smoke and instead of making for the body's injuries it broke into two streams and made for the head and heart.

Dovahkiin's body suddenly snapped upright, wings and legs rotating to a 'standing' position and looked up at Odahviing. Her body suddenly twitched and with a sickening sucking and popping sound, disgorged the cannonball from her chest out the hole it had made in her shoulder.

Finally, the scales around the injuries glowed cherry red and straw yellow as if lined with forging iron and started pull together. The holes closed as if there had never been a single thing wrong with her body.

Dove's eyes suddenly widened and the milky white color vanished from them, burned away by the golden brilliance that was shining from them as if the sun was cresting behind her pupils, before settling down to their usual golden color.

Dove closed those eyes and sucked in a massive breath before stomping her leg on the ground in pain as she came back to herself.

Glancing around she instantly fixed her eyes on the two humans. Fear and anxiety pulsed through her. 'Am I a monster in their eyes?' she wondered for the three seconds of silence while the world returned too normal.

Her fears appeared to be unfounded as Louise leapt forwards and seized her snout in a massive hug, pulling her so close that she straddled Dove's nose and dragged her entire head to the ground. "You are not allowed to leave me ever again," Louise said before squeezing her dragon's head harder.

Dovahkiin blinked and then smiled and hummed in happiness.

* * *

 **Arkay: god of the cycle; birth and death, hates necromancy and sometimes called the mortals' god. he is the only god who can still create life.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Ow**

 **my head**

 **I've been organizing my work and it hurts.**

 **So**

 **Familiar of Zero belongs to someone beyond the grave,**

 **Skyrim to a large, many headed industrial monster,**

 **I'm not sure which one would be easier to get since neither currently belong to me.**

* * *

 **XSDStich: thank you. All her 'Siblings' are older so really it would be like any other talk with a dragon. I don't know, I would have to learn more about Arkey.**

 **Indecisive Bob: Your review basicly sums up why I changed the last chapter, thanks.**

 **ForgottenGrimiore: agreed.**

 **XSDStich: Makes sense, I got an image in my head of Akatosh bouncing a baby on his knee, on top of a mountain that is his throne or something excessive like that.**

 **shamwoohoo52: Aye!**

 **greenstripe: kittens and dragon hatch-lings, two of my favorite things.**

 **Akshka: will do.**

 **helkil: I hope I straightened out your confusion.**

 **Me Myself and I: I think that Akatosh would have just let her go about her life if she wasn't the strongest. He did let Alduin get away with a few centuries of domination because he was the strongest before so I thought that he would be overly gracious to Dovahkiin when she took the title.**

 **PS, a non deadly option to her breath attack? HERESY! :} really funny heresy but still.**

 **dovgrahdeen: Your welcome. No I don't speak Dovahzul, I would love to learn but I just don't have the time right now. I do have a rather nice translator that works more often then not and thats where I've been getting the Dovahzul translations for my story.**

 **Akshka: I'm sorry , that has been invented before. If you really want something new-ish, try commenting that someone has really big balls, then remove their **** and staple them to their ******.**

 **perfectshade: ... I plead the fifth. Thanks, Yup, to many demigods and you get Percy Jackson. Thanks for the praise, technically the idea is still the same as the original chapter but without the forcing it. I have a plan for Dove and Tabitha. I thought 'he's a god, many mythology have told us that gods don't really think about little things like humility' and that's why Akatosh didn't teach it.**

 **The Princess could have slipped away until much of the fighting had come to an end, that's one reason why it was so 'calm' around the resurrection site, the other reason was that the fighting had been in other areas, ship crashed over there, town ambush was over there, but nothing was to close. You're welcome.**

 **Anon1: Thank you, I have lots of ideas for friction but was looking for some more of a more personal nature, I will take your suggestions under advisement.**

* * *

Louise either hung off of, or kept a hand touching Dovahkiin for the rest of the day, assuring herself that she was really there. The entire time, when she wasn't directly addressed by another human she was muttering to her familiar.

When only those who knew that Dovahkiin could talk were around Dovahkiin would respond in a quiet voice.

However, it was later in the evening, when no one but Louise, Kirche and Tabitha around when Dovahkiin brought up something that was eating at her from her last conversation with Akatosh.

 **"** **Am I a monster?"** she asked the three girls.

They had been sitting around a campfire that the army had set up for them, Louise was leaning against Dovahkiin's side when Dovahkiin asked her question. Kirche and Tabitha, who were seated on the other side of the fire, turned from their conversation to look at her.

"What makes you ask that?" Louise asked concerned.

 **"** **The fight,"** Dovahkiin said heavily.

"People die in fights," Tabitha said softly looking at Dove, searching for what could be distressing her. It couldn't be killing, Dove had said that Skyrim was a violent place, so what about the fight made the female feel so bad?

 **"** **But not everyone gets eaten,"** Dovahkiin snapped heatedly.

Kirche winced and Tabitha felt like she understood.

Louise huffed, "Dove, you protected the army and got revenge for your master, me. Nothing you did made you a monster."

Dove growled as Louise just didn't get it, and pulled away from her. She escaped from the situation by pulling her head back to lay her head down for sleep.

Louise looked at her confusedly before turning that confusion to Tabitha of all people when she snorted, "Wrong thing to say."

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Henrietta smiled at the assembly in her palace.

To the sides were lines of nobles to witness the ceremony. The proceedings where a relatively small event with only as many nobles as they could bring on short notice. The battle had only been yesterday and everyone was wary of another invasion attempt from Reconquista, so no militantly inclined nobles were present.

There was a row in front of her containing the mages who had distinguished themselves in the battle, Louise stood proudly towards the left side with Guiche, Tabitha and Kirche in a line beside her. Henrietta smiled at them all and spoke formally.

"For fighting with distinction and for single handedly bringing down the leader of the Reconquista, I, Henrietta de Tristain, grant you, Lady Valliere, Lord Gramont, Lady Zerbst, and Lady Tabitha, the title of Chevalier in the kingdom of Tristain and award you the white heart medal of honor."

Louise looked a bit lost at the 'single handedly bringing down the leader of Reconquista' part but she accepted the metal as she already had the title, with a smile while the rest of the hastily assembled court clapped.

Henrietta dismissed the court with a smile only for many to approach the new Chevaliers instead of leaving.

That morning the girls had been awakened by the nobles, many of them Griffin knights, who had been curious about Dovahkiin and had inundated Louise with questions regarding her familiar. Fortunately, she had been saved from answering them by Henrietta who ordered her to give a full report after her knighting ceremony.

Louise had immediately agreed but mentioned that Kirche and Tabitha should also be there. Now the girls were being swarmed again by curious nobles who had heard the stories from the knights from before.

"I said that the court is dismissed, please stay miss Louise, Kirche and Tabitha for I have questions," Henrietta said loudly, catching the attention of all the question driven Nobles. Forcing their own curiosity down, the nobles reluctantly bowed to her and left. All that were left were the three of Doves students, bowing before Henrietta and her body guard Agnes.

"Thank you for staying to answer our questions, Louise," Henrietta said with a smile.

"Miss Valliere," Agnes began before Louise could finish smiling and try to respond to her friend, "I might have been busy at the time, but I have heard from those under my command that your familiar summoned familiars of her own to fight alongside her during the battle, is this true?" She started her interrogation.

Louise felt hurt that she couldn't answer her friend but answered the Dame.

"Not completely," she said, "I spoke with Dovahkiin about it and she said that they are her brothers whom she had defeated in single combat and gained the loyalty of. To be honest I didn't know she could call them until she did in the middle of the battle."

"You unaware of the capabilities of your familiar? You must have at least studied the 'Sky's rim' dragon after you summoned one," Agnes asked, solidifying her position as the chief interrogator.

Louise sighed and admitted, "I made up the name 'Sky's rim dragon', where she comes from there is only one kind of dragon so they just called themselves dragons. It would have been too confusing to call the by that name here."

"I see," Agnes said slowly, agreeing, "I'm aware that your familiar can talk, so why haven't asked for a rundown of her abilities?" Agnes asked going to the next logical question.

"I was afraid," Louise admitted wondering how Agnes had learned of Dovahkiin's ability to talk, then continued at their questioning looks, "When I first met Dovahkiin she used some kind of spell as a test, it frightened me and the others who it touched."

Kirche jumped in with Tabitha nodding. "Ya, when I felt the wave effects of the spell. I was certain I was going to be eaten or something, it was pure terror," she shivered a bit remembering.

"Any way," Louise took up the narrative, "After that I tried to ask her about herself and ended up insulted her when she talked about her magicka and how it is related to her religion. During the fight she decided to prove how powerful she was by immediately shouting a storm into existence and then shouting at me. From that point forwards I didn't ask to many questions."

Henrietta looked confused. "She shouted a storm into existence? What do you mean by that?" she asked.

"Dragon magic is a louder, more primal version kind of Dove's magic; Magicka," Louise explained, "it was said that the act of just talking in dragon tongue is enough to reshape the world."

Henrietta looked at the Cerulean, "before the battle you said you were learning to shout. Are you trying to master this kind of magic?"

Tabitha nodded then scrunched up her face, "hard."

Agnes frowned, "how so?"

"In order to use shouts," Louise answered for Tabitha, "you need to know the dragon language, Dovahkzul, and understand it with the mindset of a dragon. Something 'joor', mortals, like us simply can't completely grasp."

"With meditation I might grasp some small understanding," Tabitha said surprising everyone with her willingness to talk.

"Where do these kind of dragons come from?" Agnes asked, considering how best to use them.

"We have no idea," Louise stated, "Dove comes from the same place and is just as hopelessly lost as Dovahkiin is on where Tristain is in relation to their home land of Skyrim."

"Then how did she bring others to herself when she needed them?" Henrietta asked.

"I don't know," Louise said, "I would need to ask Dovahkiin about it."

"You don't seem to know a lot about your familiar," Agnes said raising an eyebrow.

Louise huffed. "I know plenty. I also respect her privacy, she is her own person after all," she actually growling at the knight.

Agnes was taken aback by the forceful response and strange relationship the noble seemed to have with her familiar. She was left blinking in surprise.

Henrietta moved in to help Agnes. "It's just odd that a master and familiar wouldn't spend a lot of time together Louise," she said soothingly.

Louise nodded, red faced in embarrassment from the shouting. "I'm sorry your grace, Dame Agnes," she apologized.

"It's alright," Henrietta assured while Agnes grumbled, "It seems that we would need to ask Dovahkiin about herself directly, do you know where she is now?"

Tabitha answered, again surprising everyone, "Tristain academy of magic."

"How do you know that?" Louise asked, she had seen Dovahkiin that morning when they had woken up before moving to the palace for awards but they had to leave her early to get there and she had had a moment of panic when she had lost sight of her familiar.

"She told me to tell you as she left," Tabitha said becoming reflective, Dove hadn't seemed all that well when she had spoken with Tabitha.

Agnes hissed in disappointment, "I was going to ask about the reports of her recovering from a mortal injury."

"I think that would again be stepping into how their magic is related to their religion," Henrietta said thinking back on what the red dragon - Odahviing - had said.

"Correct," Louise agreed happy to be of some service, "she mentioned that she is related to a guy named, Atosh, or something like that and that he is the god of time, the sun, and the father of all dragons. She was going to say more but I kept interrupting her." She sounded truly sad at fighting with Dovahkiin.

"So she's some kind of demigod?" Agnes asked.

"Evidently," Louise confirmed with a proud smile.

"Would Baroness Bosquet know more and be able confirm what we suspect? Since she is from the same land?" Agnes asked.

Kirche and Tabitha frowned. "Who is Baroness Bosquet?" The redhead asked.

Louise sighed dramatically. "Dove was given a noble title by the princess for her help in apprehending Fouquet. She doesn't like to boast about it," she informed the now blinking and gaping Germalian.

Tabitha filled that note away for future study.

"She does!" Kirche yelled after a moment to get over her surprise, "why didn't she tell us" she whined.

Louise felt a tick mark appear, "what part of 'she doesn't like to boast about it' don't you understand," she grumbled.

Kirche inwardly smirked and outwardly pouted, "Most of it, If I was suddenly given a higher title I would want everyone to know."

Louise scoffed, "unlike you Kirche, she has some humility."

Kirche grasp her hands to her chest and swayed. "You wound me Louise, I thought we were friends," she cried with surprisingly realistic fake tears.

"Back on topic," Agnes said frowning at the two, "If she knows more about your familiar than we should talk to her."

"She's… uh, traveling," Louise said rubbing her head.

"Traveling?" Henrietta asked with Agnes looking incredulous at the lack of answers.

"Yes, they closed the academy for the time being and she went traveling around the country," Louise explained, Agnes growled in frustration.

"She told me how to find her," Louise said making it up, "I could have her here in a day or so."

"Then I suggest you bring her here to answer our questions," Agnes said.

"Thank you for talking with us," Henrietta said with a sweet smile.

""NO thank you your highness," Louise instantly quickly reassured her friend, "I'll let you know about what Dove says."

Agnes nodded, "I would like a report by the time the princess is crowned queen in three days."

Louise gaped, "You're going to be crowned already?"

Henrietta faced her awestruck friend, her face carefully blank, "The country needs stability, and for that they need me to assume the throne and lead them."

Louise just stood there, still slack jawed, ' _the only things I know about the queen is that the king ruled more often than not and that when he died she 'became fragile' and since then had shifted a lot of the burden of ruling onto the princess. I admit I haven't met her or know a lot about her but what I have seen shows a lack of quality for a ruler.'_

Was Dove right about the queen? Shouldn't she be leading them instead of her best friend.

Since she wasn't moving Kirche picked Louise up under her armpits and started pulling her out the room with a quick apology.

-[]-

As they left the palace Louise rounded on Tabitha, "why did Dove tell you where she was going and not me?"

Tabitha shrugged. "Maybe she couldn't find you," she suggested.

Louise growled in anger, at Dove or Tabitha she didn't know, just that she was angry.

Her anger was temporarily paused as the sky went dark.

"That's odd," Kirche commented looking up, "I heard that the solar eclipse was supposed to be earlier in the year. Actually, it was supposed to happen during the battle if what I heard was correct."

Louise snorted, "maybe one of Dove's 'nine divine' forgot to move the moons for the eclipse."

Tabitha shrugged, secretly glad that Louise had been diverted.

"What was the princess talking about with the 'single handily apprehending the leader of the Reconquista?" Louise asked.

Kirche smiled and started their journey back to the academy with the elaborately embellished tale of beating the man named Cromwell. It wouldn't do to let her know about the ring forcing her to the ground but she did inform her about the look on the man's face when Guiche cracked his skull with a stick, knocking him out.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Dove pulled another pile of wood into her cave. She had been troubled ever since waking up from dying. This was to be expected, the entire event was strange and others would try to get famous by overcoming death.

Instead she was troubled.

The thing that bothered her the most was that she had eaten Wardes. No one who knew him regretted him turning into her meal, in fact Louise had actually been grateful to her for ending her former fiancé.

The problem was that Dove felt sick, absolutely filthy about it. She had killed before, many times in Skyrim, fun fact; the bandit population in Skyrim had dropped like the airships in battle after she had started actively adventuring.

But the act of eating her enemy was making her queasy thinking about it.

To deal with it she made a fire in her cave and put the pot of water for a long _bath_.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Louise and company arrived back at the academy, to her surprise the place was full of students and staff, they should have left a while ago. "Hey, what's going on?" Louise asked a trio of younger students who was passing by.

"Well," the lead girl answered first, "Since we were already here and there being some rather strong mages teaching here-"

"and because we kicked the enemy's butt in the first battle," the only boy in the group interrupted and got smacked upside the head by the girl who hadn't spoken.

"Basically the teachers are still giving us lessons and trying to maintain some form of normalism, until the last possible moment," the first girl finished.

Louise blinked, "oh, I see."

Kirche threw her hands in the air, "Great! That means all the boys are still here!"

"Until they are drafted," the girls confirmed.

"Then I'll just have to work fast," Kirche purred.

Louise felt another tick mark coming.

"We should find Dove," Tabitha said softly, finishing the fight before it could start.

Louise nodded and tried to emulate Agnes's quick orders, "I'll check her room, could you check her cave, Tabitha, and could you check the kitchen Kirche?"

Both girls nodded, both agreeing and impressed with Louise's swift orders, and dispersed.

-[]-

Kirche quickly made her way to the kitchens. Opening the door, she was surprised to see the ordered chaos as maid, waiters, the head cook, and a few assistants bustled about the large room, apparently making the dinner in a few hours.

"I'm sorry miss," the head cook said looking up from where he was sautéing something, "there is no food currently ready for a snack with the army taking a lot of supplies, you will have to wait until dinner."

"I'm not here for food," Kirche reassured the large man, "I'm looking for Dove de la Bosquet, is she here?"

Martone frowned, "De la Bosquet… I'm not familiar with that name, is she a new student?"

Kirche mentally slapped herself, "no, she was the assistant cook before the war announcement. I was told she was around and wanted to talk with her."

Martone gaped, "Dove has a noble title? When did that happen? Miss if you don't mind me asking," Martone quickly added the last bit, afraid of upsetting her.

Kirche winced and blushed, "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that, she doesn't care about bragging. Could you please keep the fact that I told you to yourself?"

Martone blinked, "Uh, sure my lady." He decided to ask Dove about this later. "We haven't seen her. You said she's somewhere nearby?" he asked to relieve the awkward situation, "When you find her, please tell her we miss her down in the kitchens and that she should hurry back."

Kirche nodded and left still blushing.

-[]-

Louise pushed open Dove's door. She stuck her head in to find the room was empty.

Sighing she pushed the door closed.

"Miss Louise, is that you?"

Louise jumped and glanced down the hall. To her surprise Siesta was standing there with a basket of laundry, as if she had never left.

"Siesta! What are you doing here, are you alright? I didn't see you at Tarbles," Louise exclaimed surprisingly happy to see the maid.

Siesta smiled. "I'm fine, as soon as the enemy ship appeared we evacuated the town, for some reason they took so long to disembark that we could leave before they took over. I came here since we need money now more than ever."

Louise sighed, "that's a relief. Have you seen Dove? She should be somewhere on campus."

Siesta shook her head, "she came back? I haven't seen her since we ran into each other back in Tarbles before everything happened."

The maid paused and looked shyly at Louise, "I, oh uh, if it isn't too much to ask, miss Valliere."

Louise looked her questioningly.

"How is the town? None of my family has been able to go back there and find out how everything is," Siesta asked flushing.

Louise frowned, in her head she saw the church tower falling, houses exploding with canon fire, and people one second there and next, gone. "I'm not going to lie to you," She said maturely causing Siesta to prepare for the worst, "I saw a lot of damage done to the town. I don't know if your house was destroyed or not."

Siesta gasped, clutching at her neckerchief. After a moment she let out a breath, "Thank you for being honest miss Valliere. If you'll excuse me, I need to get this laundry done."

Louise nodded and let her start off down the hall, unsure of how she could make the maid feel better.

-[]-

Tabitha approached the stand of oaks and rocks that marked the entrance of Dove's cave. Pushing against the rock at the entrance, she entered the tunnel.

After a little more walking she could see the light of a fire up ahead. Unconsciously breathing easier, she walked around the room entrance, and stopped to stare mutely at the scene the room presented.

Dove's little cave had wood stacked in one corner while a little table and cabinet, both newly created, but what really caught her attention was the pot/bath.

Dove was in it, her eye's closed and her head was thrown back as if she had fallen asleep, letting the water get a little hot for comfort. Then Tabitha noticed that the water was turning a dark red.

Tabitha moved, she ran forwards and grabbed Dove under the armpits and using a surprising amount of strength for her small frame, pulled the taller girl from the pot.

"Uh?" Dove asked softly opening her eyes, trying to figure out why she was on the ground. Tabitha wasted no time as she grabbed both of Dove's arms and checked them for signs of injury, then moved to pat down the rest of the girl's nude body.

Dove shot up to a sitting position, one hand going to her breasts to both support and cover them a bit. "What was that for?" she asked askance.

Tabitha sat back a bit but kept on looking her over. "Bloody water. Thought you were hurt," she defended while her eyes moved down to check her legs and hips.

Dove blushed and closed her legs. "I got bloody from fighting and dying," Dove defended, "I was just washing that off." When she had shifted back she had found herself caked in blood.

Tabitha stared at her for a moment, searching for any sign of lying, before nodding in acceptance.

"You confused us when you left," Tabitha said changing to a new topic.

Dove got to her feet and walked back to the tub. Glancing down she winced, there was a lot of red in the water, at least it wasn't on her anymore. Tabitha's actions made much more sense now.

"I did? Sorry. I just needed to think about the battle," Dove started off alright but got quieter towards the end.

Tabitha noticed, "are you alright?"

Dove nodded and started draining the pot. "Yes, maybe, I was frightened when I was fighting, though not of the battle outside. I was frightened because I lost it, completely and totally lost it."

Dove shivered and locked eyes on the bottom of the pot, away from a staring Tabitha,

"I let the dragon go and enjoyed the consequences. Louise didn't even seem to blink over the loss of Wardes. When I was young, I was always told that the only thing that's truly bad is when you enjoy hurting others," her words were as disjointed as her thoughts on the matter.

"Am I a bad person for how I felt while killing Wardes?"

Tabitha frowned, "maybe," she decided to Dove's surprise, "only if you actually enjoy it. I don't think you truly enjoyed what you did. People lose themselves sometimes in battle. You are still a good person."

"And if I lose myself again?" Dove asked weakly, her eyes still fixed on the pool where she had drained the bath, "I've said it before, 'I feel like I'm losing myself to the dragon inside', and now it actually happened and not only did I become a monster in my eyes but I died because of it. What do I do?"

Tabitha stood up and walked over to Dove. remembering how effective it was on the ship, Tabitha hugged the Bosmer.

"We can deal with that later," she said in her hug, for some reason she felt warmer than before and it wasn't from the heat on Dove's body left over from the bath, it came from the blue haired girl's chest.

Unknown to Tabitha, Dove was feeling a similar heat as she turned and hugged Tabitha back, the girls face came right to Dove's collar bone and Tabitha could feel Dove's emotional breath as tears pricking her eyes. "Thank you," she said, not entirely sure which part she was thanking Tabitha for but thankful none the less.

Tabitha kept on hugging her friend for a moment. "We should go back," she finally said after their moment.

Dove nodded and pulled her wet body off the damp girl, "sure."

After dousing the fire, Dove started moving around the area picking things up and placing them on or in her cabinet before disappearing into the side room for the other cloths she had stashed there with her armor.

They walked back in silence, both girls thinking about what happened in the cave. Tabitha was thinking about what Dove shared, her fear that she was a bad person for what her dragon side had enjoyed. Dove on the other hand had already thought long and hard about that topic and instead unconsciously rubbed her chest where Tabitha's head had rested and the warmth had been.

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The silence lasted all the way to the front of the academy.

Louise and Kirche both greeted them as they walked in the arch way, they had been anxiously waiting for Tabitha to get back to see if she had found Dove.

Louise was the first to talk, "Where were you Dove?"

"Washing the blood from battle off," Dove answered simply.

"You know I could have done that? It is a mage's responsibility to take care of their familiar," Louise huffed to conceal her relief.

Dove laughed, "I'm not an invalid, I can wash behind my ears well enough mom."

Tabitha watched as Dove expertly skirted around the emotional moment they had shared.

"So Dove," Kirche said quickly, "I'm sorry, but I might have mentioned that you have a noble title to the head chef. I know you don't like to brag about it, I didn't mean to, it just slipped out, please don't be mad with me."

Dove blinked, between eating people and the strange warmth she had forgotten that she hadn't told others that she had a noble title, now it was going to be part of the gossip for days. She looked at the redhead considering what she had said. Kirche was rubbing her head and looking very sorry.

She sighed, "It's alright Kirche." No use crying of spilled milk she decided, "I haven't thought about my title in a while, guess now I might have to actually deal with being a noble."

Kirche beamed, glad that Dove had forgiven her.

"I saw Siesta," Louise announced looking for other topics to discuss.

Dove instantly shot her a concerned look. "How is she?" she demanded.

"Fine, she's upset over the loss of her home," she said sadly, "but she'll be alright with her friends on the staff helping."

Dove nodded, "I should make something for her, something to cheer her up," she thought out loud, "do any of you have ideas of things I could make for her?"

"Food, her favorite."

"Lingerie, something to make her feel sexy."

"Building materials, to help her family."

All three girls suggested their ideas at the same time.

Dove laughed as a flustered Louise started arguing with a grinning Kirche. "I think your idea was the best," Dove said looking at Tabitha, "but making her some food would also be a good idea. Also, I could teach her to fly her families' craft." she added the last part mostly to herself.

Tabitha just nodded as she watched the other two girls continued to argue over wither cloths or food, or (Dove couldn't figure out how this ended up in the argument) cloths made out of food would be the better thing.

"It works with both of our ideas," Kirche argued for the last suggestion with a smirk, "it allows her to have something to eat and imagine, some hot guy starts kissing her, then moves to nipping her neck and she moans until he reaches her collar to start eating his way down to her -"

"Don't finish that sentence!" Louise shouted throwing her hands in the air in a huff.

Dove sighed and looked at Tabitha. "You know," she started, pulling Tabitha into her own little conversation away from the others, "before the battle you did say we would talk about what was bothering you, something about your family back in Gallia so spill."

Tabitha was silent for a moment. "My uncle is the king."

Dove wasn't expecting that, "really? You're royalty?" she asked surprised.

Tabitha nodded, "my father was murdered after my grandfather died. My mother was attacked and driven into insanity. I need to protect her."

Dove was equal as quiet as she processed the girl's words, searching for hidden meanings. "Why don't you go to your uncle for protection? He is the king and he could protect her and you. Why are you even in Tristain if your family is in danger?" she asked her questions as they occurred to her while musing.

"Uncle is the one who is a danger. Being here is to remove me from home. My mother is not a threat with her condition," Tabitha summed up softly.

Dove's eyes narrowed and she growled when she realized what Tabitha was implying.

"Blood is thicker than water. If the king is the one threatening your mother then he doesn't deserve to live," She looked at Tabitha who was surprised by the force of her anger. Dove couldn't tell, she wasn't able to see her own eyes but she was sure that her eyes were glowing golden, and this time it was all her own motivation not the dragons.

Tabitha did not know what to feel. She was a Chevalier of Gallia, and she guessed she was an honorary one in Tristain now, and Dove did just threaten the ruler of her land. However, she felt that warmth in her again, someone was on her side, someone was willing to fight the kingdom to help her.

She decided on a response, "Thank you."

Dove snorted, eye's turning back to her natural blue. "Any truly noble person would help you, it's a shame that almost nobody here can be called noble," Dove said snidely.

Tabitha felt the warmth grow despite Dove brushing her actions off, it felt strange, the warmth literally felt like it was lifting her off the ground.

She laughed, softly, quietly, but it was there, A truly happy laugh like the one's she used to have before her mother took that drink.

Dove blinked and then her eyes widened as she realized that this was the first time she had heard Tabitha laugh. Tabitha sounded truly happy, her lips were quirked in a smile and her eyes were larger and glistened brightly as she continued to let out her soft cries of happiness.

Dove idly wondered why she was paying so much attention to her friend's face. But decided to ignore it in favor of joining her mirth.

* * *

 **I can't believe I forgot about the eclipse.**

 **I guess I forgot it in the excitement.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Have you ever read a book**

 **watched a movie**

 **listened** **to some music**

 **or all of the above**

 **and suddenly**

 **was blessed by an image of what the next big event for a story you're writing will be?**

 **Familiar of Zero is cute Skyrim is full of grit**

 **I only own the adorable pink gravel they make when combined**

* * *

 **Akshka: agreed, moving on. (try looking up 'the tub' or rat torture)**

 **xanothos: I'm planing on touching on a bit more then cuddles, does this meet your approval?**

 **Properdecay: or maybe she is a ZOMBIE! ;} hehehe ahahahahaha BWAHAHAHAHAHA!**

 **(now my grandparents are looking at me strangly)**

 **Boyzilla: Thanks, here it is.**

 **RedBurningDragon: Sounds like a rather bad experience, RIP random guards. Which part of my story reminds you? there are a lot of Louise scenes.**

 **XSDStitch: did you change your thumbnail? The church (Marzain) is aware that DOVAHKIIN doesn't believe but there is no harm in a familiar who doesn't believe so long as the mage believes in their opinion. That might change if it comes to light that DOVE doesn't believe.**

 **Touhou is life: it was what allowed Sitio to go home to japan, not something important to Dove. I was just upset that I forgot about it since it was a event in the cannon.**

 **Kiden: that might work as an excuse. Alright, the eclipse didn't happen because Akatosh said so.**

 **The green pact might be alright with the whole cannibalism but I decided back in the beginning that Dove won't follow the green pact, instead she embraced the Nordic life style of blunt action, favoring her bow instead of a sword, and will have some issues with the event.**

 _ **dovgrahdeen: yes they are going to be a couple, I haven't put their pairing in the summary of my story because I think it would ruin some of the experience of reading.**_

 _ **Think about it like this "STARWARS. Episode VI RETURN OF THE JEDI. Luke Skywalker has... (Jump to the end) to restore freedom to the galaxy... PS Luke and Leia are siblings and Han totally shacks up with Leia."**_

 _ **For this reason I didn't outright say who I've decided the pairing will be, instead I hid it in posts like these. I will gladly say who is paired with whom in this way but never in the summary.**_

 _ **Sorry for ranting a bit.**_ _ **I think she would be a savior but she is nervous of how complete and pleasurable the experience was.**_

 **Guest: I can't blame everything on Sheo, I need to take responsibility for my own actions.**

 **helkil: I think her fear will be there for a long time, mostly because it basically lept up on her catching her off guard. Her children will remain in their birth shape until they enter puberty, then they will gain the ability to shift.**

 **alexc123: Aye.**

 **Guest: Which line in chapter seven? are you talking about the 'song' of the dragonborn?**

 **perfectshade: sometimes missing the point when you comfort a person can be worse then condemning you, she tried but it didn't work. Her entire tsunade behavior in the anime was caused by her feeling like she deserves things as a noble, I had Dovahkiin put her 'foot' down and made her realize just what her behavior would loose her, that's why the event was so far reaching.**

 **I'm confused about what 'hero economy' has to do with the story, could you explain more?**

 **Thank's, I was looking for a way to pull them together, this came to mind. How did I distract you from Siesta's plight apart from a quick jump to mistaken suicide? Akatosh seems to be a popular excuse for why the eclipse was forgotten.**

* * *

Siesta moved through her day slowly. After talking to miss Louise yesterday she had written a letter to her family who were staying with some relatives just to because she felt the need to.

The family was alright, that was the most important thing but it would have been better if they had a house to call their own. She slowly dusted her way through the halls on her way back to the kitchen to help set up for lunch.

Walking inside the kitchen, she was greeted by the sight of the staff watching Martone hug the life out of a purple Dove and crying his eyes out.

"What is going on?" Siesta asked is surprise. A few people answered her.

"Dove is a noble."

"She loves us too much to leave."

"Dove's crazy."

Siesta frowned in confusion while the last person to speak got slapped on the head. "Could you please clarify," she asked.

Lucy, a blond maid who worked more in the kitchen the she did answered her. "Apparently, after she helped the students catch that thief a little while back she had been granted the title of Baroness by the princess herself. She is now a noble, just without lands."

Siesta's face mirrored how everyone else's had been when they had learned that piece of news, jaw slightly open and eyes widened before confusion set in. "Then why is she here? Working with us I mean," she asked.

Lucy smiled, "Martone asked the same thing, and she said 'because the title doesn't change who I am, I still like to cook, I still can cook, and nothing about me apart from your perception has changed.' Martone was thrilled and well," she gestured at the pair, "you can probably figure out the rest."

Siesta sighed and shook her head, nothing about Dove made sense. When she had learned of Dove's magic she had assumed that she was some kind of noble or the product of a 'relative' of one.

She hadn't meant to be rude, but that was the way it was for people like her. Dove was beautiful, if she had inherited those looks from her mother and her magic from her father then the story writes itself.

But Dove had been adamant that she had come from a place where all had magic and she believed Dove.

In any case, her magic should have earned her some deference, some kind of respect or fear from the other servants, but she had snapped them out of that before it could start by practically ordering them to respect her acts not herself.

No noble had done that and no noble would let their face start to turn an unhealthy white in the grip of an overly zealous cook either. That might be a problem.

Siesta quickly moved up and grabbed Dove by a limp arm. "Mister Martone," she said as she started pulling, "I think you're killing her."

Martone blinked the proud tears from his eyes and took a hard look at Dove's face. "Sorry," he said abashed and let his victim slump out of his arms to hang on Siesta's own.

Dove gasped for breath as people started to leave with the dispelling excitement. Siesta helped Dove to a chair. "I'm naming my first born child after you," Dove said teasingly as color returned to face.

Siesta smiled and quickly waved her words away, "it's alright, take it from the debt I owe you from when you saved my life."

Dove frowned suddenly and leaned in changing the topic, "Siesta, I'm sorry about what happened to you home, is your family alright? Was anyone hurt?"

Siesta shook her head instantly, then she smiled wickedly, "no, my brother is alright."

It was Dove's turn to shake her head. "I wasn't asking about just your brother," she denied. 'Although' was her next thought, 'why wasn't I? He was polite and kind of cute but I didn't feel anything for him.' She decided to ponder that next time she meditated.

"I want to know how your family was getting along," she said to cover her silence, "if there was anything salvageable from the house, is the house damaged, are they are in need of things. I want to help if there is."

Siesta blinked in surprise, touched that Dove was offering despite not having much herself. "Thank you," she said, "they are living with relatives but with everyone living together, money is tight, but I'm sender a bigger part of my wages so that should help them."

Dove smiled, "I could send them part of my wages to," she decided.

Siesta looked at her in surprise. "Wouldn't you need that for yourself?" she asked.

Dove waved her concern off, "I get larger wages because I'm a cook and I don't buy much of anything." That was true, she hunted in her free time, hopefully no one minded a few animals going missing in there.

Siesta smiled, "thank you."

Dove reciprocated the smile, "you're welcome. I have something else I would like to talk to you about."

Siesta looked at her questioningly.

"Your families air ship, the wings of the dragon," Dove paused, "or was it robes? Anyway, I want to know if you would like to learn how to fly it."

Siesta sat upright, "learn how to fly it? No one in my family has known how to fly it since my great grandfather passed away. Why are you asking."

"I think I can fly it," Dove said with an odd look.

Siesta frowned, "How do you know how to fly it, or are you suggesting we learn it together?"

Dove shook her head, "I'm not entity certain how, but whenever I touch your families' ship I just know how." Dove looked for the words to express herself, "I don't fully know how, I just know that I feel like I'm being selfish if I don't teach the apparently lost knowledge to you, its rightful owner."

Siesta looked at her with obvious confusion, she really didn't understand how Dove could know how to fly her families ship and not know how she knew, but strange things have happened around Dove much too often for her to be overly concerned.

'I want to know,' she realized, she wanted to know more about her great grandfather and the place he came from. Something told her that flying his ship would do that for her.

"I, think, I would like that," she slowly admitted. Dove grinned at her acceptance and Siesta smiled shyly back.

"Great, do you think we could go over the ship with Professor Colbert later today?" Dove suggested slipping into her teacher mode, "That way we can familiarize ourselves with the ship beforehand."

Siesta nodded eagerly. "I have dusting and sweeping until the fifth bell," she said, "we could meet up then and go over it for an hour before we both need to get supper setup."

Dove agreed and got up to help with lunch. "Oh, I almost forgot," she turned around part way.

"Just a fair warning," she called back to Siesta, "If you get a pink garter belt and matching panties set made out of licorice with a watermelon bra, it's from Kirche Zerbst."

Siesta blushed pure red and opened her mouth to ask 'What!?' but Dove was already returning to her walk to the counter, studiously ignoring the shocked looks the other servants who had heard were giving her and the blushes some were throwing at Siesta.

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Dove thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the day, every time she passed another servant she received looks of both respect and incredulous happiness. She had made them feel important in ways they had never thought possible just by openly choosing to stay with them. This filled them with pride and her with a sense of belonging.

She made her way down to Professor Colbert's office trailing this glorious feeling the entire way. "Professor Colbert, do you have a moment?" she asked softly at the door. She didn't enter because it would be rude to invade his office.

There was a clatter and a crash of something falling and shattering on the floor. After a moment Colbert opened the door, there was a small stain on his robe and he looked distracted.

"I'm sorry Professor," Dove said quickly, "is this a bad time?"

Colbert looked at her, finally seeming to hone in on her instead of gaze past. "Bad time?" he asked confused, "no, no not at all, you just surprised me a little."

"I thought I heard something fall," Dove hedged, "If I distracted you from something then I'm sorry." she liked Colbert, he was an honest fellow but she kept a little apart from him. If she caught his interest, then she was sure he would figure out her secret with all of his questions. However, today she needed him for later with Siesta.

"I was examining some kind of fluid from the robes of the dragon," Colbert said excitedly, "it causes a low powered explosion when lit on fire and I think it is what the dragon uses for blood."

Dove frowned. "was that crashing sound a container of this explosive blood hitting the ground and spilling over a large area?" she asked.

Colbert frowned and looked at her in confusion, "how did you know?"

"I just guessed the worst case situation," Dove assured him.

Colbert coughed. "Well, do you need something?" Colbert asked quickly, uncomfortable because of how close her guess work was.

Dove snapped her head away from the door to look at him. "Yes," she said pulling herself away from her worries, "yes indeed, I am bringing Siesta down to the storage shed to do a preliminary look over before I teach her how to fly her family's aircraft. I was wondering if you wanted to come down with us around fifth bell."

Colbert blinked, "you know how to fly it? I thought you knew nothing of the land where it came from let alone how to use it."

Dove frowned, "I don't know about its homeland. I know how to use it. I don't know how I know, just that I do and that it wouldn't be right to keep this information to myself when the rightful owner is still here. Will you be there? I don't think you answered and I thought it would help you to see parts of it in action."

For Colbert it was a no brainer. "I will be there," he said with a happy grin, "fifth bell at the storage shed."

Dove smiled back, "see you there."

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Louise stood facing a trio of barrels. The barrels were set up about ten paces away, the max that someone should be able to send a burst of flame and still have it be effective enough to leave a burn.

She called up her magicka and felt the sensation of burning travel up her torso and along her arm to burst out of her palm in the form of a horizontal pillar of flame. The flame was hotter than her first time and the sensation had become a mild feeling instead of the pain it had first been.

"That was cool," Kirche commented from her place sitting on an unused barrel. "I can cast a much larger flame from my wand of course but it was a rather nice flame," she adds mock smugly.

Louise huffed and looked back at the barrels. The one in the middle was burned to the point that the sides were caving in and the other two were blackened.

"Dove says that this is a very respectable amount of damage for a novice level destruction spell," she said.

Kirche huffed in annoyance, "why are her ways of measuring things so much different than ours? Novice level, are we merchants or mages? Anyway, I think that this level of damage isn't enough, it's about as damaging as any basic point level fire mage could do."

Louise shook her head, "I don't understand it at times myself," she said.

"On top of that," Kirche said hoping off the barrel and walking over to the other mage. She stopped and took slow measured paces towards the barrel, stopping at them with her toes touching the warm blackened surface of one.

"It only goes about ten paces; how effective could that be?"

Louise hummed as Kirche returned to her.

"I only have you learning the first spell of destruction," Dove's voice called out from an arched walkway.

The students turned to see their teacher standing there. "There are five different levels for someone to achieve and most levels have different aspects to learn before one can move on." Dove moved from her spot.

"The level you are on is called novice, the lowest," Dove said kindly, "at your skill, all spells are what are called 'spray type' spells, they can only spray from your body like you've seen."

"But when can we learn something stronger?" Louise asked with Kirche nodding, "I want to learn something with a little bit of distance so that I don't have to get too close to my enemies."

"'Missile type'," Dove said, "is an Apprentice level spell, the next level, I won't teach it to you until I have seen you use all three destruction spells at least as effectively as I have just seen you use that one."

Louise and Kirche frowned. "So we need to learn how to shoot ice and lightning as well before you teach us and distance spells?" Kirche asked unhappily.

Dove nodded and then chuckled at their miserable expressions. "Don't worry," she said optimistically, "The other two spells are easy to learn and almost as easy to master, you'll have them down in a week at the pace you're going."

Both girls still looked upset and glowered at the amused Dove.

"I guess now I've got to teach you how to cast ice, the next destruction spell you will learn," Dove smiled as they looked at her eagerly.

She walked over to the barrel that Kirche had been sitting on and opened it. Inside of the barrel was water. She held her hand over the water and felt the cold climb up her arm.

The water in the barrel iced over, she made a fist and broke the ice only to repeat the process a few times until the water was thick with floating ice. "I want you to slowly put your arm into this barrel," she said turning to the two girls.

Both looked at her confusedly. "The sensation of the ice spell is like putting your hand into ice water only starting at your shoulder and then moving down your arm instead of the reverse," Dove said calmly, "it will make it easier to cast the spell if you do this a few times before trying to cast the spell."

Kirche looked at the barrel with something akin to loathing. Louise sighed and walked over to the barrel. Stopping in front of it she fixed a determine look on her face and readied her arm.

"Remember, as slow as you can," Dove said knowing how cold it would feel the first few times, afterwards it would relax their muscles and feel really good but until then it was almost painful.

True to expectations Louise thrust her hand into the water only to whip it out quickly and start rubbing at her goose bumps.

"Again," Dove said softly and Louise frowned in irritation. Kirche decided she could be shown up and walked forwards. She plunged both hands into the water and held them there for a full second before pulling out.

"Here is some advice," Dove said gaining their attention again, "try casting the spell immediately after you plunge your hand into the barrel, try recreating the sensation of the cold climbing up your arm while you cast."

Louise glared at the ice bath and slower this time, shoved her hand in. After a second she pulled out and aimed away from everyone.

A tiny puff of cold air left her hand, her result was nowhere near as impressive as her first attempt at the fire spell.

She looked at her hand pensively for a few moments before looking at Dove with an obvious question.

Dove understood, "yes, it's harder to cast an ice destruction spell then a fire one, it takes a little bit more magicka to cast but it has a few unexpected advantages."

"What are those?" Kirche asked as she to tried to cast the destruction spell.

"It physically saps a person's strength," Dove said. They looked at her confused. "What I mean is that a person will actually get tired from having the ice spell used on them, an act that would have been easy before suddenly becomes a lot harder and it could even kill them outright."

She frowned thinking of a way to say it better, "I remember some mage saying that it slowed down the body's ability to make and use energy and so it could potentially soak up a person's strength and freeze them solid."

Kirche shuddered, "that sounds disturbing."

"Useful when you're running away from something to have a much slower chaser," Dove said off handily thinking about a particular literal run in, with a few Falmers.

Louise nodded, her entire focus on the spell as she tried casting it again. Little response.

"Keep at it for another hour," Dove suggested before moving off, "I'm going to be at the shed if you need me, but you shouldn't unless you try to freeze each other."

She didn't notice the gleam in both of the girl's eyes or the challenging glances they shot at each other.

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Siesta was standing - well, really she was shifting from foot to foot, with professor Colbert by a large shed waiting for Dove to arrive. She was a little nervous about the whole experience but she was also very interested. She avoided the professors direct gaze as he asked some more questions.

"How does it fly? Where do you place the saddle, I think it's some internal part but I haven't figured out how to get to it." He kept on asking.

It was an odd feeling to be treated almost equally by the mage, any mage for that matter. Even if he had always been a kind professor he hadn't really 'needed' someone like her before. It felt so odd to have his complete attention now plus how valued it appeared to be to him was shocking her.

Dove finally appeared on the scene before Siesta could be frightened off by Colbert's questions.

"I think that enough," Dove said kindly to the professor, "all of us don't really know anything about this devise. I know how to use it, Siesta knows it's history, and you, Professor, know about its basic parts. Let's pool our knowledge first."

Colbert nodded abashed that he had let his enthusiasm get the better of him and kept him from noticing how it had started to make Siesta feel, "sorry."

"It's alright sir," Siesta quickly assured him.

"Alright," Dove said moving on, "care to tell us what you have found out, Professor?"

Colbert coughed and gestured to the plane, "based on size; this appears to be a one or two seating air vessel. There is some kind of air wheel in the front and wings with flexible sections on the wings and tail rather like a normal ships rudder."

Dove stepped forwards and placed her hand discreetly on the underside of the ship. "There are also two guns attached to the wings, and the seats are over here."

Dove climbed up on to the back of the plane and unlatched the cock pit.

Colbert assisted Siesta up onto the ship and then climbed up himself. Siesta walked over and peered down into the flyer's seat where Dove was toying with a pole positioned in front of her legs. "I think this is used to steer," she said looking up.

"Let me," Siesta said quickly as she noticed something odd. Before either of them could respond she had stepped into the same space as Dove and sat down in her lap.

Dove started is surprise as she was pressed into the seat by Siesta, despite the uncomfortable feeling of being squished there was something… comfortable? She wasn't sure what word would describe what she was feeling but it made her warm and almost at ease yet strangely on edge, relaxed but ready was the best way to describe it.

Siesta toyed around with a few controls and slid across Dove's lap causing Dove to blush and then blink in confusion, when Siesta was reaching for a panel. "It's just like how my grandfather would sit," Siesta exclaimed to the both of them.

"There was supposed to be some perfect position to sit in that would allow you to fly the dragon," Siesta continued to the professor's interest while Dove started trying to move out from under Siesta.

"Fascinating, did you ever learn why that position worked for flying or would some other seating arrangement work just as well?" Colbert asked intrigued.

"I don't care, get off of me it's warm back here," Dove said as she started trying to push against Siesta, "there is another seat just behind this one you know."

Siesta eeped and stood up immediately. "SorryI'llgoback," she said quickly and climbed over Doves head to reach the other seat.

Dove started to growl as Siesta stepped on the chair seat just in front of her body and then stopped as Siesta placed the other on the top of her seat to shift herself over.

'White,' Dove's unbidden thought said as her blush grew.

Then Siesta was over her and was situating herself on the other seat.

"Are you alright Dove?" Colbert asked causing Siesta to pause and glance around the seat at her.

"Oh my, I'm sorry, you're so red, I didn't know I had crushed you that much," Siesta said worriedly but unable to think of what to do to correct her mistake.

Dove paused for a moment before brushing off their concern, "it's alright, let's forget it and move on to studying the ship."

While both humans nodded Dove allowed herself to feel her flush. She didn't understand why she had flushed, the only reasons she could think of were sickness and the fact that the seat was warm but she could feel in her bones that neither reasons was the real reason.

Groaning she realized that it was some confusing emotion and now she had another thing to meditate on tonight.

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Tabitha was sitting across from Dove as they meditated together on top of the bed in Doves room.

Dove had offered to teach her Magicka like the other two but Tabitha felt that her skills in halkeginian magic would be enough for her purposes while she keeps the voice in reserve.

If only it wasn't so hard to learn. She felt like there was a large bolder placed squarely in her way whenever she tried to shout. Then the mediation made her feel like she was just staring at the bolder instead of taking care of it.

Dove on the other hand felt her body. She was meditating on what parts she had felt warm at both in the cave with Tabitha and when Siesta was climbing over her, trying to regulate her breathing and muscle control to recreate the sensation.

With Tabitha the warmth had been where she had rested her head and with Siesta it had been where she had sat on her. Just above her chest and in her lap, the heat had been different both times as well, one had felt like an intense coal while the other had felt like a constant burn.

It was several minutes in that Dove finally came to the decision that what she had felt in the cave was a connection to Tabitha.

Tabitha's actions on the air ship and then mirrored in the cave had upped Tabitha's relationship to her from friend to confidant. The intense burn was from how safe she felt with Tabitha. She decided this despite the small unsatisfied feelings she still felt.

She tilted her head as she tried to figure out the sensations with Siesta, but started pouting when she came up blank.

"That is an incredible look for you, laddy-girl."

Tabitha threw out a hand to grab her staff and had it aimed in the direction the strangely oscillating voice had come from the nearby wall.

"Wabajack!"

Her staff became a rather large carrot.

Dove shoved her confusion into the pit of her stomach as she turned to greet one of her biggest headaches.

"Tabitha, I would like to introduce you to, Sheogorath the daedric prince of madness."

"Charmed," the prince said as he bowed with a flourish to the blue haired girl.

Tabitha was examining the carrot in her hand. "Where?" she asked.

"The ROOM!" Sheogorath said emphasizing the second word.

"You need to be a little more descriptive with him," Dove advised, "or he will be obscure."

"Obscure is for men with paint and politicians," Sheo interjected, "I'm blindingly obvious."

Dove sighed, "indeed," she really shouldn't have to put up with this.

"My staff," Tabitha said.

"Was a really good one but I think it should have a larger crook. Bigger! Like that white haired kid who kept on whining about 'who was he' and 'why did the moon bring me back' like an immortal emo," Sheo said almost seriously with a gleam in his miss matched eyes.

Tabitha looked questioningly at Dove who just shrugged. "I don't know, he could just be rambling or talking about another dimension," Tabitha raised an eyebrow at the idea of other dimensions existing.

"Trust me, they exist," Dove said as if reading her mind.

Sheo clutched at his chest, "Hershey figured it out! There are more worlds of madness to explore."

"About that," Dove started, "My father said it was considered 'bad form' to send demigods too other dimensions. Why did you send me here?"

Sheo plopped his walking stick down on the ground in front of him, "what is madness then the epitome of chaos? What is chaos then the birth of all dimensions, exactly like what the Egyptians said it was? And finally; what is chaos but a great big cheese sculpture of the middle finger to the rules!?"

"So basically you did it because you don't follow the ruled and technically exist in all dimensions," Dove smiled as she followed the mad prince's 'logic'.

"WRONG!~" Sheogorath shouted startling the girls, "That's how, Why is another matter. I told you before, maybe you should ask Narwhales to examined your head for Nargles, but I did it to save my beloved troublemaker."

"I don't cause trouble," Dove grumbled to which Sheogorath grinned.

"Why are you here?" Tabitha asked setting the carrot down beside her.

"To give Dove my 'welcome into immortality' present," Sheo said with a smile and lifted his Wabajack.

"I don't think that would be a good idea," Dove said eyeing the staff.

Sheogorath blinked and looked at her with incredible 'kicked puppy' eyes. "Why not?" his voice on the other hand was still grating.

"Don't mean as much if it's just some cheese," Tabitha said drawing attention off of Dove.

Sheogorath stared at her for a second then his face suddenly split across his face. "You're right, I need to think of something better! Thank you Charlotte. Be back soon!" and he vanished as if he had never been there. Tabitha's staff returned a second later.

Tabitha looked as shocked as Dove had ever seen her by the name Sheo had referred to her as.

Dove groaned and rubbed her head, "this is going to come back and bite me in the rear, I can feel it."

* * *

 **HA, get that image of Siesta out of your head :P**

 **I'm sure everyone hates the word 'filler' as much as I do so I don't have any in this story.**

 **I just take a chapter to set up great things.**

 **SO**

 **(I make a triumphant return!)**

 **Oh gosh, why does he has to comment in my ANs every time I have him in the story?**

 **(Just like you need me to give ******* a **** so that your story can continue)**

 **SHUT UP!**


	29. Chapter 29

**You can dance if you want to**

 **you can leave your friends behind**

 **'cause your friends don't own Skyrim**

 **or familiar of zero so their**

 **no friends of mine.**

 **(You don't either so are you not a friend with yourself?)**

* * *

 **Tou is Life: Ok, you should have some apples with all that cheese.**

 **ArytomXIII: I know, he just works with everything, Guta, Chedar, Sharp, EVERYTHING!**

 **helkil: a fling, or more.**

 **Akshka: Hot spicy or Hot sexy? :P do you think the airplane lesson could count as a lime?**

 **slayst: he does tend to bite people in the rear, more often then not it's only figuratively.**

 **XSDStitch: great, so I wasn't imagining things. She didn't refuse the Wabbajack, she refused whatever the Wabbajack was going to summon. No I don't know where your people when, Mister Johnson won't tell me, instead he's got this new idea for an exploding lemon. I call him mister totally-not-jack-frost. ^-^**

 **RedBurningDragon: Saito was going to go through back to Japan, but chose not to. Dove has nothing better to do then hang around there so she doesn't care to try flying into the eclipse.**

 **xanothos: thanks, I'm wondering if the subtle, unintentional, lap dance from Siesta counts as a lime.**

 **perfectshade: Yup, I have a problem with words that are spelled to similarly and couldn't think of how to spell tsundere. Basically Dove's willingness and ability to leave caused Louise to treat her better then she treated Siato in the anime, that's all I was going for in my explanation, events like the fight between Dove and Louise are of great impact to them both so it would be far reaching.**

 **Panic and confusion would happen in any battle, I'm glad I caused a bit of it in you. Order of the stick... I might look into that, it reminds me of a comic that was entirely about the construction crews that would come in after any Marvel super hero fight and have to fix the city.**

 **Colbert is busy with the new war and the zero fighter, I don't think he would connect Dove with Dovahkiin unless a larger hint is shoved under his nose. There is a pseudo puberty thing going on now that I think about it, I'll have to come up with a reason for that in later chapters.**

 **Properdecay: Of course not Properdecay-sama. I would never pander to another person Properdecay-sama.**

 **I don't know who COnfused is but if he's hanging out with Happy then Natsu might get jealous.**

 **I'm not pandering... I'm just in a teasing mood.**

 **Guest: I think you got cut off part way in your review.**

 **Guest: thank you fro your feed back, now actually read the story ya a-hole.**

 **Enderblade: RICHARD! I can shout random name to. ;P**

* * *

The sky rang with little explosions as fireworks celebrated the people's joy. The public had heard the news of Princess Henrietta's coronation and were letting their excitement show as they prepared for a parade that would bring Henrietta herself though the town.

Louise was sitting on her bed kicking her legs as she waited for Dove to come to her room.

She was a little anxious, they had been summoned to talk to the princess after the parade. She didn't know why exactly they were being summoned but she guessed that it was most likely going to be a continuation of asking questions about Skyrim dragons from Dove.

Getting bored with looking out the window, she distracted herself by glancing down at what had arrived for her from her family a little while ago.

Dove finally poked her head into the room. "Are you ready to go?" She asked taking in the room and noticing that Louise was apparently just sitting there.

"Yes," Louise said quickly and hopped off her bed.

"Hey, what's that?" Dove asked looking at the object as it caught the light from Louise's bed.

Louise glanced back at the artifact. "It's a pair of glasses that blinks with light whenever the wearer looks at someone romantically… or was it lustfully? I can't quite remember."

She shook her head it didn't matter either way, "Except the person who gave them to the wearer of course. It's used to keep an eye on unfaithful lovers in my family," Louise didn't mention why she had something like that in her room however Dove wasn't thinking about that.

"How does something like that work?" Dove asked after a moment, "Does it read your mind or something?"

Louise looked at her oddly, "aren't you wondering why I have it? That is the question most normal people would ask."

Dove shrugged, "I don't really care why, I'll admit it's odd that you would have it since you're not dating or engaged to anyone and I don't think you'd be 'unfaithful' even if you were, but I think the fact that a pair of head wear made by someone, who is so obviously color blind, that can read a person's mind is much more interesting topic than why you have it."

Louise smiled at her familiar's oddly kind words before she frowned, "I guess that's true. Now that I think of it, I don't know the history of these glasses, they just were something my family owned."

Dove placed her hands on her chin and frowned in contemplation.

"..." Louise waited for Dove to say something.

"..." Dove kept frowning.

"So should we try them out?" Dove suddenly asked.

"What?" Louise asked.

"Think of it as a challenge," Dove described, "We both wear it for an hour and whomever gets caught being the most lustful has to do something for the other. What do you say?"

Louise just sat there for a moment gob smacked, then surprised even herself and allowed a small grin to grow. "It might be fun," she considered shyly, "but what about meeting with the princess?"

"We have a few hours until then," Dove quickly informed her, "we can have our fun and be done before that." She then added more incentive with an easy smile, "I'll even go first."

Louise considered, there shouldn't be any harm in this game.

"Alright," she said picking them up and walking towards Dove, "but you said you're going first so here."

Dove nodded and leaned down to let Louise slide them on her face. There was a tiny glow and the glasses were rested on her face.

"Let's go see if these work," Dove said leading the way out of the door.

-[]-

In the halls and all the way to the open courtyards were empty of people, most everyone was likely at the nearby town for the parade.

Outside they ran into Siesta.

"Hi there," Dove called out to the other maid, a little anxious, she hadn't heard anything on how her help was being received by her family, she worried that they might be the kind of people who don't like 'charity'.

"Oh, Hi Dove," she said with a tentative smile before she broke out a larger grin on her friend.

Then she blinked and started to laugh.

"Ya, I know," Dove said laughing right along with her, happy that any awkwardness had died before it could form properly.

"They look rather good on you, really bring out the… shine! Yes, the shine of your... neckerchief tie," Siesta said while Dove continued to laugh with her.

"Of course it does," Dove said smugly, "I look great in anything. Either way it's still a ridicules pair of glasses."

Dove smiled at the other maid, then a thought occurred to her as the unidentified warmth seemed to return a bit.

"Hey Siesta, can I try something with you?" She asked.

"What?" Siesta asked light heartedly in return.

"These things are said to read the mind of the person wearing them," Dove started to blush, "they're supposed to glow any time the person thinks 'impure' thoughts about someone."

Siesta blushed, she felt confused as to where this was going.

"I was wondering if it was okay if I tried deliberately thinking of you," she quickly jumped to explain her reasons, "It's just, I'm curious if it would detect my thoughts if they were for another girl or if it just works on guys."

All three girls were blushing red as two of them waited for Siesta's response.

Siesta blinked rapidly and kept her eyes firmly fixed on the ground as she considered.

"It's just an idea," Dove started to back track and excuse herself, "since its making you uncomfortable, I'll just-"

Siesta shook her head, "you can't, now you've got me interested as well. I want to see if it works like you said."

Dove shook her head, clearing the embarrassment from herself, "Right, uh, thanks."

She stood there for a moment, looking at Siesta while Louise stood just behind her to see the results. Dove's face started to flush as her thoughts turned to Siesta's intimate areas and the glasses instantly started blinking.

As soon as red light started strobing both girls broke eye contact.

"..."

"..."

"I guess it works for both guys and girls," Dove said suddenly straightening. She smiled and turned to Louise, "that means it reacts no matter who it is, so there's no chance to deny it."

Louise quickly started nodding, "r-right," she managed.

"Thanks Siesta," Dove said quickly without meeting her eyes, before moving on after grabbing Louise's hand and dragging her behind her as Dove made for the road to the village. She had completely forgotten to talk to Siesta about their next appointment with learning to fly the airship.

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It took them over half an hour to reach the town. Just like they thought, everyone was gathered at the town celebrating. There were stalls of games and treats with men and women walking about in-between them talking.

Dove instantly went for the sweets section.

The guy at the stall smiled pleasantly at her before openly gaping at her eyewear, and the rest of her. He hoped no one caught him/would fault him for appreciating her maids uniform.

Louise watched it all from nearby, smirking in open humor as she watched as the young man tried to serve her some kind of roll with icing and not get caught looking at Dove's chest. She felt a little annoyed as the glasses refused to blink despite how many cute boys were noticing Dove.

"Hey~," a familiar voice said from behind her.

Louise turned and saw Kirche and Tabitha standing there. "Hi Kirche, how is it going Tabitha?" she greeted the two other mages.

"Great," Kirche answered for both of them, "I've managed to talk to some new guys who work at a local stone masons shop, you should see the muscles on their arms and chests."

Louise sighed, she knew Kirche was an unrepentant flirt but did she have to be so open about it? Kirche smiled in such a way that Louise knew that Kirche knew how much it bothered her and just didn't care to change.

"What are your plans for the parade?" Louise asked for some kind of conversation away from Kirche's habits.

"Watch it, go back to books," Tabitha answered succinctly.

"Girls, Hi," Dove said as she came back bearing several of the rolls, "you need to try theses."

She handed one off to Louise and another to Kirche but as she handed the last to Tabitha, the glasses started to blink.

"Uh, Dove," Louise said timidly as Dove missed the sight.

"What?" Dove asked confused.

"Your face is blinking," Kirche teased. She knew exactly what those glasses were but was confused about why they were going off now.

Dove turned a red that actually put Kirche's hair to shame. "I-I, bu, ho-who?" she stuttered out, confused and embarrassed.

Kirche following Dove's basic line of sight, looked over Tabitha's shoulder. "Ah, I see you noticed the new stone masons I was just telling Louise about, aren't their biceps dreamy?"

"Maybe," Dove managed as the heat slowly left her face.

"So, why are you wearing _Those_ glasses?" Kirche asked Dove.

Dove smirked a little, "they sounded interesting and so I challenged Louise to a contest, I wear them for an hour, she wears them for an hour, and whoever gets the caught blinking the most has to do something for the other."

Kirche looked thoughtful, "that actually sounds like fun, something we can do together and laugh about later kind of a thing."

"Exactly," Dove said with a victorious smile, "by the way, Louise, it's your turn and I only got it once."

Louise frowned unhappily, "You wanted to go first because it took so long to get here on the road," she accused Dove who just smiled in a sneakily victorious way.

"Fine," Louise said relenting and took the glasses off Dove before handing them to her so that she could put them on her. 'No one here is any better than a dog anyway,' she grumbled half internally, sure that she wouldn't get any glowing.

The glasses slipped onto her face and glowed once as they became active.

Kirche pulled down on the collar of her already bursting shirt to expose the most perfectly perky, spherical parts of her body. Louise instantly went red and the lights went off.

"S-stupid, perverted-ZERBST!" Louise shouted at the unapologetic Germalinan.

"But Louise~," Kirche said pulling a near purple Louise into a glopping session so that her chest was covering Louise's head and almost smothering her. She was thoroughly enjoying her teasing, "you must love me, the lights blinked and everything."

"That doesn't count," Louise said pointing at a snickering Dove from her soft captivity, "I didn't count the maid back at the academy so you can't count Kirche pulling down her blouse."

"Oh~, a fellow maid Dove?" Kirche asked teasing as she stepped back having covered herself again.

Dove shook her head and quickly got off this topic, "fine, we won't count this one time."

Kirche reached for her shirt again, much to the anticipation of all the guys too slow to catch it the first time. Her hand was intercepted by Louise's and she actually received a growled warning from the pink mage before getting her hand back.

"I think the parade is starting," Dove said to pull the two girls, one still smirking, away from each other.

Dove pulled Louise away from the other students and into the growing crowds along the main road in town. Louise fumed as she thought about Kirche's lack of modesty.

"She's only trying to wind you up for today," Dove said calmingly, sure that she knew what Louise as thinking.

"But, why does she have to so that?" Louise whined.

"It's her way of connecting, bonding if you will, with you," Dove said sagely, "sharing laughs at the expense of all those boys by showing off how 'much' she has and how close you two are."

Louise frowned. "Maybe," she conceded, "but I don't like it. It makes me feel small."

"That you're going to have to take up with her," Dove said with a shrug, "Besides you're not small, you're fun sized. Now forget it, the parade is starting."

Louise grumbled but turned back to the street in time to see the start of the parade.

The parade was fun for Dove, there was a group of fifty guys from the army, the sound of their marching feet striking in perfect unison filled the air along with the reflection of the sun flashing off their immaculate armor. Several of the other girls in the crowd called out to the men, and got appreciative looks back.

Next came a platoon of chicken riders. Their still ridiculous cloth armor and hats were much better suited for this kind of environment than the battlefield. the cheers and screams they received from most of the unmarried women were very loud and annoyed Dove to no end.

Finally came the procession that everyone had been waiting for. A white open carriage was pulled by a team of white horses, flanking the group was Agnes and several other Musketeers in practical but still very nice armor.

Sitting in the center was the new queen. She smiled and waved to everyone as if she didn't have the weight of an entire country, and every person in it, crashing down on top of her.

Dove really felt for her.

Louise gasped in happiness as she watched her best friend ascend the throne. The two of them had been talking about it for years while they were young, played dress up and enacted the entire event with both Henrietta being the one crowned and Louise as the priest anointing her and vise versa. Now, the time had come.

"Hey. Your face is glowing," Dove said with a very large smirk.

Louise blinked and glanced down, trying to see herself, 'glowing?' Then she remembered the glasses.

"Who're you looking at?" Dove asked with a Kirche worthy smile.

"Eh, um, one of the guards," Louise stammered weakly.

Dove looked back at the procession, "really? Which one? I think Agnes and you would look good together."

Louise bit back a retort. 'Agnes and her wouldn't 'look good together', she fumed, 'they were both women she was looking at one of the other guards,' she reasoned. Then she realized that all the guards were Henrietta's musketeers, all were women.

She blushed again and glared as Dove couldn't hold it in and laughed uproariously while the possession passed them by.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Dove was rubbing the bruise on her shoulder while they waited for the queen to be ready for them. They sat on some very soft chairs outside the exact same room they had received their orders to search out nobles who abused their position. The door guards were a pair of musketeers who couldn't help but glance at the two girls and snigger in amusement.

She glared daggers at Louise who was glaring right back.

"Stop acting like children," Agnes's voice ordered and the two glanced down the hall to see her approaching the pair with her second in command a step behind her.

"But it's her fault," both women whined at the exact same time.

Agnes sighed and her second actually had to hold in a snicker like both of the guards.

The door opened and surprisingly, a solemn faced Osmond came out while they were ushered into the room. Louise, Agnes, and the second, Dove placed a mental reminder to learn her name, all went down on one knee and bowed to their princess. Dove gave her a familiar nod, and smirked.

Henrietta smiled right back at Dove from her throne while those unused to this kind of action grumbled about her disrespect.

"Please, rise," Henrietta said gesturing to them.

"I can't quite remember the levitation spell," Dove said with an exaggerated sigh while the others got to their feet, "So I guess we'll have to be content with my current altitude".

Henrietta laughed softly while Agnes and the second decided to ignore this strange behavior.

"Dove De La Bosquet," Henrietta started formally.

Dove frowned at the formal tone and feel, nothing good ever came after it.

"A few things have come to my attention that I have some questions about, you seem to have the answers, would it be alright if you answered them?" Henrietta asked

Dove gave a slow nod.

"Thank you, first off I have heard that you are familiar with the unique kind of dragon my dear friend Louise has as her familiar. Is this true?" Henrietta asked.

"Yes," Dove confirmed, "I come from Skyrim just like the dragon Dovahkiin, I am familiar with her and her kind."

Agnes nodded and stepped in, "we want to know about her capabilities, how can we use her most effectively? How do we need to treat her?"

Dove thought for a moment, "Dovahkiin has the thu'um. The voice, in her language, it is a powerful ability where they shout a tri word spell to affect the world around her. The spells are extremely varied and capable of many different effects."

She paused, grasping for the right words to describe the voice and coming up empty.

"What are her movement capabilities?" Agnes asked.

"Dovahkiin can fly about one and a quarter times as fast as a wind dragon. She simply is the fastest dragon there is. Despite this maneuverability she has the ability to hover in place by beating her wings to unleash her thu'um," Dove smirked, both glad to move off the other topic and at remembering how surprised the enemy had looked while she hovered overhead.

"Defense? How strong are her scales?" Henrietta asked, remembering how gut wrenching it had been to see her friend's familiar laid out dead.

Dove nodded, secretly pleased that she had asked about how safe she was. "She can repel lots of damage; sharp blades will pierce her but the wind spell that most flying mages learn is more inclined to push rider off their beasts and therefore they are more of an annoyance to her then a threat."

"Now for the important question," Agnes said.

"I saw her dead body," Henrietta said looking at Dove, "and she came back. While I'm glad she did so, the question is how? The dragon Odahviing said that it was because they are the children of 'Akatosh', could you explain what that means to us?"

Dove frowned this was a risk for her. "I don't believe in your Brimir," she started, the people in the room who had been unaware (everyone except for Louise) actually gaped.

"What happened," Dove continued, "with Dovahkiin according to my understanding takes a bit of understanding of my people's religion, I ask you not to hate me for my beliefs."

Henrietta quickly reassured her that they wouldn't hate her, but she also suggested she talk to Cardinal Mazarin after they talked.

Dove knew that was the best deal she was going to get so she shrugged and continued. "Basically there are the Aedra, the one we recognize as gods and goddesses. The king of the Aedra is Akatosh, he is the father of dragons, ruler of the sun and creator of time. Dragon souls are said to be fragments of his power and one dies, another can resurrect the fallen." She kept her explanation short to avoid things that might lead to an inquisition.

"I see," Agnes said not entirely trusting this simple explanation of dragon divine power. "How is that possible?" she followed up.

"How is it possible for your Brimir to have created magic?" Dove asked in return.

Agnes shrugged, "I don't know," she didn't think anyone knew how.

"Same here," Dove said.

"What is Skyrim like?" Henrietta asked looking for background information that could help.

Dove smiled, "Cold, beautiful, and full of exciting people and things to see. There are many dangers but I think it's worth it to live there."

"What are the people like?" Henrietta asked caching on to the people portion of Dove's answer. Maybe talking about them could help build some parallels between the questioner and the answer giver.

"The Humans are hard stern men and women both like an axe, cutting in wide, bold, strokes. The Mer are usually just as strong but tend to be more like spears or arrows, to a point and focused. The Khajiit are a bit wild but adorable with their furry ears, tail and mannerisms and hold an air of aloofness about them, like they could just vanish into the air. There aren't as many Argonians since their home land is rather far away and they like warmer enviroments, but I enjoy how the light reflects off their scales."

Dove deliberately mentioned every race in Skyrim and at least one thing she liked about them.

Henrietta blinked, Louise frowned, Agnes tilted her head and her second followed a second later with her own head.

"Who?" Louise asked. Dove glanced at her questioningly. "I thought that there were just Humans and Mer, what are the others?" Louise elaborated.

"What are Mer, Khajiit, and Argonians?" Henrietta asked confused.

Dove sighed, "khajiit are large cat people, Argonians are lizard people, and Mer closely resemble how you have describe elves to look."

"You have elves in your homeland?" the second asked.

"I'm sorry," Dove said softly, not trying to sound rude, "I don't know your name, who are you?"

"I'm lieutenant Michel," she answered.

"Thank you," Dove said gratefully before moving on, "they are the Mer, they are also called elves on occasion but they aren't any different than any other person. A different species with their own distinctive racial traits, but they are still people."

"You do know that elves are pure evil, right?" Michel questioned.

"Have you ever met an elf?" Dove asked right back.

Michel frowned. "No," she admitted, "but they killed the founder. He proclaimed them to be the embodiment of evil and spent his life fighting to take back the holy lands from them. One of his last commandments is to take the holy lands back from those monsters."

"What makes you think he was right in doing so?" Dove countered heatedly, "What makes you think that he didn't deserve to be thrown out of the 'holy lands'? Do you know anything about them apart from what the church of Brimir feeds you?"

"You are entering into very deep waters there, Baroness," Agnes warned stepping up while her lieutenant tried to come up with a response.

"I live in deep water since I don't believe in his supposed 'divinity' yet currently live in a country that worships him," Dove said with more heat, "I have friends, trust worthy allies that I've known for years, longer than your religion, and yet your religion apparently condemns them out of hand because of the way their ears look when they're born. I hate that."

There had been a constant annoying pressure on Dove every time she had talked to a person about any form of religion. Their views on elves in particular had rubbed her patience to the point where she felt like she was going to snap.

"We have strayed from the topic," Henrietta said pulling attention back to herself. "We were asking about Dovahkiin's abilities," she refocused on the main topic.

"I've given most of what I know," Dove said shrugging, 'and what I can get away with,' was added silently.

"She can fly and breath fire, or ice, or just throw people around like dust in the wind. What else could you want to know?" Dove skipped over a few of the possible other inquisition worthy shouts she had.

Henrietta shook her head; she couldn't think of anything else at the time.

"I have a mission for the two of you," she said moving on to the next thing on her mental check list. She looked to the two the musketeers in the room with a serious expression.

Both young women snapped to attention.

She turned to the disguised Dragon. "I have been informed that the good baroness here," she gestured to Dove, "is working on something and would need help in a few days." Dove blinked and looked at her confused.

"She is working on some kind of very delicate and secret potion that Osmond claims would be useful for the days to come," Henrietta continued giving orders to her musketeers while Dove frowned and then actually looked murderous.

"My second topic of questions for you Baroness is, does this potion exist and does it work like he says?" Henrietta asked, excitement evident.

"It wasn't his to tell of," she said, not realizing that she had spoken out loud.

"What is this potion?" Agnes asked curious about something that could get the princess to put both her and Michel on the same project with a noble.

Dove frowned and then sighed, plotting to get back at Osmond later. "He calls it a booster," she explained skirting its real ability, "a potion that can increase mages magical capacity, basically it could cause a point class mage to preform triangle class or beyond spells."

Agnes frowned as the thought of stronger mages rubbed her the wrong way.

"You can make mages stronger?" Michel clarified, not quite trusting her ears, 'this could be important,' she thought and started to consider who would pay for her to give this information to them.

"Of course not," Dove said flippantly, "after all, THE FOUNDER created magic it would be HERETICAL to improve upon such a perfect creation."

The musketeers glared at her tone and words but Dove didn't care, she had had it up to here *forehead height* with this religion, noble classes, and the all-around country. She would need a break from everything as soon as possible before she killed someone.

"Now, the last thing," Henrietta said changing topics and hopefully allowing the baroness time to cool off, "I have something for you Louise." She reached down to pick a small book of the table next to her. Standing she walked down the dais and held it out to her friend.

"What is this?" Louise asked curiously.

"Heresiarch's book of invocation," Henrietta announced, "Osmond found it and has said that there should be void spells written within, he suggested that you receive it."

Louise held the book reverently.

"Why did he say that you should receive this?" Agnes asked, this book could contain spells by the founder himself yet it was being given to a person with a record of complete magical failure.

'Well,' she amended mentally, 'she did cast some kind of wandless fire spells during the battle. Could that be a sign of some hidden talent?'

"It's my element," Louise answered without thinking, still awed by the book in her hands.

"You're a void mage!?" Michel gasped.

"That light at the end of the battle your' doing," Agnes jumped to the logical conclusion, no other kind of magic could be responsible for downing an entire airship with a single blast.

"Yes," Louise answered just then realizing how much attention was on her and feeling a little shyly at the amount she received.

"Louise," Henrietta said clasping her hands around Louise's, "I have a favor to ask of you."

Louise blinked as her friend held her entire attention. "As Agnes said, we know it was you who took down the enemy flagship," Henrietta said, "the power used was the void and the rest of the ships were taken down by your familiar, Gandalfr."

She looked Louise square in the eye, the pain of her words evident in them "Can you lend us your power and your familiar? The military and high counsels, even Cardinal Mazarin believe war is inevitable, can I count on you and your familiar Dovahkiin to fight alongside us during these dark times?"

Louise couldn't agree fast enough. Dove on the other hand scoffed, "why don't you ask Dovahkiin about it first your highness? Since she is as capable of rational thought as any mortal, and can talk on top of that."

Michel blinked, she had heard a lot of strange things at this meeting, from a void mage to a potion that could make someone rich, but a talking dragon was apparently taking home the gold for strangest thing she had heard this week.

"I'm sure she would agree if she was here," Louise said calmly to her queen.

Dove snarled, "doubt it."

"Why are you so angry?" Michel asked, "She's volunteering herself and her familiar, like many aristocrat claims they would. She is doing the right thing."

"Because Dovahkiin can answer for herself," Dove responded heatedly. "Dovahkiin has a will of her own and it's disrespectful to decide this for her," Dove said before she turned around and left. Agnes and Louise to gave a hasty bow to the new queen before racing to accompany her back to the academy.

* * *

 **The entire time period that a lot of Familiar of Zero was based off of just seems to tick me off.**

 **By the way**

 **I'm...**

 **thinking about giving Dove some kids,**

 **not as a epilogue piece at the end**

 **but as an event in the story.**

 **would you guys hate me for doing that?**

 **Maybe I'm biting of more then I can chew, I have been reading a lot of Preg stores** **recently**

 **What do you think?**


	30. Chapter 30

**I LIVE!**

 **really don't want to**

 **my body hurts**

 **but I LIVE!**

 **if only I could own Familiar of Zero or Skyrim**

 **then my life would be complete.**

* * *

 **XSDStitch: Possibly. I think that shape shifting won't be available to kids until later in life, puberty maybe, until then they would stay in their birth shape.**

 **Guest000: I have an idea for how to get kids but your ideas are rather good, keep sending them since I didn't think of trying to impart a bit of her soul.**

 **Belgarion42: I get that kids would be a heavy change and that is why I'm asking people what they think. Thank you for cool Thu'um ideas.**

 **lordhehl123: There are time gaps that could contain a large portion of her pregnancy if she does become pregnant, she wouldn't have to retire. (I think she has enough power hungry family at the moment) ("U")**

 **PS I have no idea what emoji I made above I just got tired of smiley**

 **helkil: I'm fine with my definition of the Thu'um, but her personality has been shifting to a more... powerful presence, so she might be effected already.**

 **XSDStitch: maybe but this is a _real life_ story about dragon born adventures, not a fake mod. :P**

 **RedBurningDragon: She lives in a land where they keep telling her that her kind are evil because a long dead guy said so, she lost her temper at that. I'm not thinking about an adoption if I give Dove kids, I have an idea for biological kids with Dove and Tabby.**

 **Tmx08: I don't know either, I'll have to decide after examining documents on dragon pregnancy before I answer your questions. Thanks for the food for thought.**

 **Guest: true. but that's life, even here on Midgard we aren't equal.**

 **xanothos: I don't think a potion would work... I do have an idea but that's for me alone to know right now.**

 **Touhou is Life:... no kids but splitting ones soul to procreate, (or achieve immortality) is alright? ;P**

 **gosh I've been reading too much Harry Potter.**

 **Inuyasha-loves-Hanyou-Kagome: long name. Thank you for your support of my rambling idea.**

 **Shamwoohoo52: Thank you for you input, however it looks like your opinion is in the minority, lots of people like the idea of kids. For a reveal, I was thinking more along the lines of her loosing her temper on some stupid joor and transforming right then and there, imagine; noble pestering a maid and she just looses it. O.O**

 **alexkehling: The parentage of kids if I have them would be the same as the pairing, need to work around that. The potion does grant commoners the ability to use Magicka, she left it out for obvious reasons.**

 **Akshka: Taking out a major facet of the lands power isn't a smart move for now. But if they touch her kids they will Burn, BURN BUUURNNN! MUAHAHAHAHH!**

 **Indecisive Bob: Thanks. I think her kids would be born one way and then gain the ability to shift to other forms. She might get stuck in one shape as well during pregnancy, I'm considering it.**

 **dovgrahdeen:**

 ** _READ THIS!  
I believe that events caused by the people in the story of Familiar of Zero still happened._**

 ** _Tabitha's mother is still insane,_**

 ** _And Agnes's home town was burned to the ground to name a few._**

 ** _The events these caused are already happening._**

 ** _While Dove coming to FOZ will ripple outwards and change things, the fact of the matter is that things have already started and will continue to happen as they did in canon unless Dove majorly changes things._**

 ** _with this in mind, canon events will most likely happen but are not guaranteed, completely new events are also_** ** _possible._**

 **I'm sorry for going underlined for you response but I wanted everyone else to understand my opinion in regards to canon and new arcs and you gave me a great opportunity to do so. I'm not yelling or angry with you, I just needed to let people know.**

 **dovgrahdeen: preg stories is the term I use when I read stories that have a character pregnant as one of the major events.**

 **Slycutter: I don't know what could be considered bad for gaining a kid from a same sex relationship in a magical world, so I'm trying my, and hoping for the, best.**

 **alexc123: Whelp, she's pared with Tabby and friends with Siesta, sorry.**

 **Guest: I plead the fifth.**

 **wasp463: I'm trying not to have overt lemons, so I don't think I would 'fetishise' it. After all, you're supposed to lick the other persons feet to have kids any way, right? ;P**

 **perfectshade: true that, Colbert and everyone else goofed. There might be an explanation in the next chapter. Dove is Siesta's friend, Dove is a noble, maybe not all nobles want just what's under my dress, that kind of a thing. I don't remember the glasses in the anime having instructions, so I made a bit of it up, I couldn't figure out exactly what it reacted to and had fun with it.**

 **Okay, I'll give a bit more on transitions between scenes. Thanks for the praise, I was worried about her attitude being wrong. Louise just didn't want to say no to her friend, so she said yes and ticked Dove off. For the record, I don't think Fouquet is dead, she didn't steel the ring someone else did.**

 **I didn't want to write a story where just one thing or another happens, I wanted to write Dove's life in FOZ. I then thought, what if she gets kids? Life happens sometimes and her life isn't normal already. This entire relationship is going to be a head ache but a worth it in my opinion.**

 **RebelRaven4:... well, godzilla was able to self procreate. Thanks for the advice.**

 **A.M.C: sorry, the pairing is now closed, thank you for your suggestion, could you now think about possible kids?**

 **Silverfox Shadows: Thank you for rambling with me in the PM about dragon pregnancy. That really helped me get some ideas to make this idea work.**

 **MorningGale: I don't plan on a one night stand.**

 **NacNak: thank you.**

 **theENDstyler: I have an idea! but I'm not going to tell you it. :}**

 **Properdecay: If you want to know my plan on that then PM me, I don't want to spoil it for anyone if I do go forwards with kids.**

 **Cheese PuffXx: All sex is awkward when discussing it with others outside of your intimate partner. Thank you for your input, but is seems your part of the minority on this matter. Do you have any advice to prevent me from making it too awkward?**

* * *

Louise sat in the carriage with Dove. Neither girl looked at each other, both stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the other all the way back to the academy. Dove stayed white hot with rage throughout the journey but Louise eventually calmed down and her anger turned to worry towards her partner.

It was late evening when they arrived at the academy.

"For the time being," Agnes said giving orders to Louise as she let the two mages off at the gate. "You will be given orders from the Queen by one of my musketeers or myself. You will be based here at the academy, your involvement with the queen is to be kept secret. For this reason, your code name will be Zero."

"Yes ma'am," Louise said smartly with a noticeable stiffening as she received her orders. She maintained the proud air despite how the name reminded her of the one she had been given by those who tormented her. Dove was too angry to bother trying to comfort her.

Instead, Dove hissed to herself and glared at the ground.

"I will be back later with Michel to assist you in your work, baroness," Agnes stoke this time to Dove only to receive a stone melting _look_ in return.

"Fine," she said void of emotion.

With an anxious nod to the tense pair, Agnes turned the carriage and left.

Louise opened her mouth and looked at her familiar. Dove would have none of it and started walking towards the entrance.

"Don't even start," Dove snapped over her shoulder, "I'm sick of it, leave me alone for now and I might talk to you tomorrow."

"But all I wanted to do was be helpful," Louise cried throwing her hands in the air in confused exasperation.

Dove stopped and swung around to look at her partner. "Then be helpful, but don't expect me to be when you aperently don't care about my life," Dove hissed in a quiet voice before turning on the spot and stalking off.

Louise stood there opening and closing her mouth of a few seconds as Dove moved off towards her rooms.

-{}-

Dove walked through the hall ways towards her room. When she arrived at her door she went in and quickly got ready for bed, slipping off her clothes and tossing them into a semi neat pile before pulling a soft night gown over her head.

Inside she was roaring with rage: the princess, now queen, was going through a hard time, she could understand that.

Her friend wanted to help her as much as she could, she could understand that.

They would hate her despite everything she has done for the kingdom if they saw her ears, she could call them five types of idiot and live with it.

But her patience ran dry when all three facts were present at once with the first two being used to volunteer her for some army task force that placed the third reason for her anger in jeopardy of being discovered.

As her night cloths settler on her shoulders, Dove hissed and punched the headboard of her bed. They actually looked at her with sympathy when she had said that there were Mer in Skyrim, as if it was a bad thing to even be around her own people!

She knew that thinking like that inevitably lead to quite a few deaths, if not enslavement and genocidal wars.

However, the thing that irked her the most wasn't that. Louise should have considered Dove before opening her mouth. Let along the fact that she had placed Dove in a position where she could be killed for forgetting her head band, what if she had plans for the next few months? What about her life?

Should she drop everything and go running off after her mistress wagging her tail like a good girl? Maybe Louise would like it if she also learned to roll over and have her tummy rubbed!

Nine! Why did she put up with this kind of crap?

Dove sighed, letting the anger escape out of her and flopped into bed. She glanced at her hand where the runes were engraved. They were just marks to her, a reminder of a promise, not some slave collar, she could leave any time she wanted. So why did she stay?

Dove knew the answer after a moment of thinking, it was because Louise looked so frightened of losing her. When she had first watched the young mage quietly beg in front of her massive dragon form she had felt her heart go out to the mage and she had given her a chance.

There had been something so sad about how obviously proud the girl was and how utterly desperate she had been to beg. The people around her looked to be judging her even then, looking for weakness like a pack of starving wolves around a small deer.

Her opinion of the girl had then grown when Louise had withstood her challenge, she had stood her ground despite the literal fear inducing shout she had used on the group and her in particular, that had won her points in Dove's book since so few had managed anything like that before.

That was why she had allowed the contract between the two of them to be made despite the very loud voice telling her that she was being a complete imbicle by doing what she had done.

Later Louise's honesty, and maybe a bit of Dove's own pride, had gotten her to fight alongside their army during it's time of need.

However, that didn't make it okay to instantly assume that Dove would just follow along behind Louise like some kind of package deal. The thought of being an accessory to someone else rubbed her the wrong way on many different levels.

The longer she was in this land the more she hated the… inconsiderate behavior many of the nobles had for others.

She hated many other things about the land, the lack of cold air, the flat landscape, and the fact that the church would hate her for basically being alive. But the thing that currently pissed her off the most was how expecting of compliance the nobles were with those they saw as lesser.

'If you want to see the true measure of a man, watch how he treats his inferiors, not his equals,' Dove thought back, remembering what a man with black hair, ratty cloths and dog breath had said when he visited the college to deliver an important message for the visiting potions teacher.

He seemed to want to annoyed the greasy man and had stayed a while afterwards to talk and flirt a little with the students and staff. She personally hadn't been interested.

The two _boys_ had gotten into an argument over those words but Dove had felt that the sage like advice was just that, sage like, and had remembered it. Those words seemed to somehow embody how Dove felt about people.

Now she felt that more the most part she could safely say that the land she was in was full of a'holes.

Turning over on her thoughts, Dove let sleep take her.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

CLAK!

A loud noise woke Dove up from sleep. She was suddenly very glad that the paranoia of someone opening her door and catching her undressed or worse, with her hair down had pushed her to take preventative steps.

To counter that situation, she had placed two stones in front of her door. Neither of the rocks were particularly heavy but they did have a fair amount of weight behind them, one was smooth while the other was rather squarish.

When someone unannounced pushed on her door the smooth rock would slide towards the squarish one until they touched making a loud noise that Dove could respond to while also drawing the attention of the person opening the door to their feet.

Since the more forceful person would clack the rocks louder than a softer person it also doubled as an initial gage of the person entering.

The sound this morning indicated a very forceful or hurried person.

Startled out of sleep by the noise of her rocks, the only thing Dove could do in her second of confusion before the person figured out what the sound was to pull her blanket up over her head into a sort of hood.

Sitting up in bed she 'clutched' the blankets to her chest with her right hand and kept the left one under a fold in the blanket with a shock spell charged. She also drew her legs up like frightened women before crying out in a fake, slightly higher pitched voice, "Whose there?" while looking towards the door.

In the doorway was Agnes, still looking at the rocks by the foot of the door in confusion. At Dove's false fearful question Agnes looked up. "I'm sorry for bothering you," she said very quickly, "It's just that I was sent to get you because miss Louise said you know where Dovahkiin likes to roost. We need her, NOW!"

Dove jumped a bit at the harsh words, "What is it? Why do y-."

"JUST HURRY!" Agnes shouted but thankfully stayed out of the room, in fact she seemed to be edging to the side as if she was getting ready to run off, "Louise will fill you in later, for now, I need to get moving."

Before a confused Dove could ask anymore, the captain of the Queen's musketeers pulled herself back out the way and darted off down the hall.

Dove blinked before getting up the rest of the way and getting dressed in her combat dress. As she tied her dress on, she cursed to herself. It was Dovahkiin being asked instead of Dove, she really wanted an excuse to use her armor soon.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Louise's room was a minor mess for the noble girl in the noble girl's opinion. There were her cloths from last night, pilled in a corner, and some papers strewn across a table while her bed was unmade. For Louise this constituted a mess, but Dove only took it to mean that Louise had something important on her mind.

"What is so important that you need this unworthy of regard servant to summon your familiar to your call instead of coming to talk to her yourself?" Dove asked in a ditsy, fake mumble voice, still very angry from yesterday.

"The queen has been kidnaped," Louise said ignoring Doves tone and words.

Dove instantly fixed her gaze on Louise, this was serious, "What happened?" Dove asked.

"Last night someone took Henrietta from the palace, they were last seen going towards Lagdorian Lake," Louise summed up quickly and effectively to Dove's begrudging approval.

"Were there any signs of a struggle?" Dove asked, confused as to how someone could have gotten past all the guards.

Louise shrugged, "I don't know. All Agnes said was that she had been taken last night and that they couldn't send out a full scale alert without drawing the attention of possible spies. Since they passed in this direction and we can fly I was asked to help."

Dove frowned, letting some of her anger show. "And you volunteered my help again without a second thought. Great."

Louise growled in frustration, "Quit being such a big baby. We are a partnership, but the rest of the world sees us as a master and familiar. It would be considered strange if I said that I had to ask your permission to use you."

"THEN BE STRANGE!" Dove shouted, "I'm sick of just doing what you say without any input. I fought in a battle because you asked. I stayed here, in a strange world instead of going back to my house in Whiterun because you interested me, I accepted what could be considered enslavement by some people because you needed me."

She took a deep breath calming herself and speaking softer, "I just want you to ask me before making decisions that affect us both. I most likely won't say no if you need me."

Louise flushed, Dove was important to her, more than just her familiar or her teacher, she should give her more warning before she just signed them up for something.

"I'm sorry," she said, she truly meant it too, "I just can't say no to my friend, and they expect me to have my familiar at my side at all times. How can I ask you for permission to volunteer you if they want an answer right off?"

Dove sighed, "you could just ask if it would be alright to talk to me, Dovahkiin I mean. The queen knew I am intelligent so the fact that you don't appear to acknowledge my ability to choose before agreeing on some level makes me seem too dumb, ignorant, or immature to make my own decisions."

"I'm sorry for giving that appearance," Louise apologized again just as heart fully as before, "I will do better next time."

Dove looked at her hard before she nodded, finally accepting that Louise 'got it'. "Just think about it before doing things in my name," she said before looking Louise over.

"We need to get you some better cloths," She mused, idly remembering her first suit of 'rescued' storm cloak armor, "no time for it now, but we should get you something that will actually stand up in a fight before too long. For now, get Derf and meet me at the entrance."

Louise gave a fearful halfhearted nod before picking up the sword from her table top. "I don't see why I have to carry a sword I won't be using," she commented to distract herself as she did so, "you're going to be the one swinging him around." She might have been part of the fight before but she still hadn't been in a proper 'fight'.

"As long as the one 'swinging' me is cute I don't care who it is," Derf piped up 'helpfully'.

Dove shook her head in annoyance, "I'm not going to be using him, I'm going to be in my dragon shape, you are going to be the one to wield him." In the background Derf gave a whoop of joy as he got the 'loli con' for this adventure.

"But I don't know how to using him properly," Louise said, her mind flashing back to the dead she had seen in the last battle and ignoring the happily perverse sounds Derf was making as he took everything they said to its most perverted conclusion.

Dove frowned. "I thought noble children learned how to use weapons," she said simply. She was used to hearing a lot of bragging as she was working in the halls by the students and had thought it was similar to her own people's views on weapon training, all learned the basics if only to prevent the pointy end of the family blade from killing the child.

Louise shook her head, "only the children of major military families know how to use weapons, and even then it's with wands and usually only taught to the first-borns or the males in the family."

Dove groaned, something else to start teaching Louise when they got back; basic weapons.

"Just bring him, he won't do either of us any good left in here," she decided and moved out to find a privet place to shift. If the worst came to pass she could shift back into bosmer shape and fight with him in the nude.

She stopped midway down the hall, grabbing at the wall to groan again and added a slap to her face as she 'felt' what Derf would say about that.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Louise raced out the doors to her room, heading towards the front entrance to meet up with Dove. She had packed light, just her normal cloths, in fact they were the same ones as yesterday (she was very disgusted that she would have to wear it again) with the queen's book and a bottle or two she had picked up in Dove's cave packed into a large inner pocket in her cloak.

As soon as Dove had found the time, she had prepared several bottles of red, green, and blue potions that Dove had then labeled in some strange, triangular, runes and stored in her cave.

She had told her to keep at least one of the red potion on her at all times and had in the same breath immediately given one to her telling her it was for healing injuries.

She had then explained that the other two colors were for increasing her stamina and magicka supplies respectfully, when she would start to feel low on either of those.

Louise had been curious enough to ask about the potion she had been given to grant her Magicka and had received a smirk in return.

"Since magic is so powerful in this land, I decided to keep that potion either somewhere safe or to myself. Can you imagine how much I would make off of it?" Dove had asked.

'Besides, it needs someone who already had magicka to begin with to create that potion,' Dove had added to herself, as she glanced at the small phial where she kept one extra portion of the potion.

It had been her way of leaving the world the way it was for now. Now she would have to think of some way to prevent farther inquiry into her potion craft.

-{}-

Fortunately for Louise, Dove was just beginning to land in dragon form when Louise exited the academy doors. Dove was only grounded for the second it took for Louise to scurry up her neck and settle comfortably on her body before she jumped back into the air with a whoosh of her large wings.

Aiming for the rising sun, Dove gain altitude. When they had reached a high enough altitude to cruse comfortably, Dove turned towards Lagdorian lake.

 **"So back on the topic of the palace, how would someone get in and then out with the princess?"** Dovahkiin mussed out loud, deep in thought to pass the time as she flew.

"It would have to have some kind of planning, maybe a spy like Agnes was suggesting," Louise said also in thought. It distracted her from worrying to much about her friend to think about how this happened instead of what could possibility be happening to Henrietta.

The world below moved past as if it was the one flying by instead of her.

 **"Was there anyone or anything else missing at the same time?"** Dovahkiin asked, **"If it was a spy then they would have been missing this morning."**

"I don't know. Agnes didn't say if she had done a head count, and there are people coming and going from the palace at all times, day and night anyways," Louise said thinking. A fact then presented itself to her, "I did hear a rumor that Andvaris ring had been stolen from the palace but that's it."

 **"I thought that accursed thing had been returned to the water spirit,"** Dovahkiin growled thinking of the purple light both her and Louise had seen while suffering under the rings effects.

"Before returning it the palace was holding on to it temporarily," Louise said while frowning.

 **"What gjok hefah gave that order? Why are we just hearing about this now?"** Dovahkiin snarled, her temper rising.

Louise shook her head, understanding her familiar's anger. "I don't know, and the palace was searching for what happened to it before the queen vanished," she said letting Dovahkiin know.

 **"Let me give you a situation,"** Dovahkiin said gritting her fangs as the hypothetical situation accord to her at the same time, **"A palace with a possible spy apparently out of the blue decides to hold onto a highly coveted item that had been used by the enemy to hurt the land."**

Louise frowned as Dove continued. **"Suddenly the item goes missing and the princess, excuse me, NEW QUEEN! Decides to vanish into the night. Said item apparently can control minds and 'give false life' on top of all that. Does this situation not drip of spy and manipulation to you as well?"**

Louise didn't need to think about it too hard. "You think the palace has been manipulated into leaving the ring vulnerable to someone so that they could use it on the princess?" Louise asked her answer.

 **"You should be more assertive in your answer, don't ask me if I think that's what happened if you think that's what I think,"** Dovahkiin chastised softly.

Louise scoffed at Doves tongue twisting advice. Dove shook her head and continued, **"I am of the opinion that someone deliberately held the ring up for a purpose and that its related to the queen missing,"** Dove said and then frowned **"but someone would have noticed if the queen suddenly walked off empty eyed with a stranger whose hands were glowing purple."**

"How could it have been used to get her if it would be too obvious to take over her mind directly?" Louise asked.

 **"I don't quite know, maybe it was used to get a servant to take the queen hostage perhaps?"** Dovahkiin said running out of ideas for the time being.

 **"Maybe we're barking up the wrong tree, it going missing could be the work of an unrelated spy who took the ring during an opportune moment or it might just be lost, misplaced somewhere. I just don't like the coincidence of it all,"** Dovahkiin admitted thoughtfully.

Louise had to agree to that logic.

They flew in silence for at least half an hour, both were either silently thinking over the chances that there was for the two incidents to be unrelated and worrying over Henrietta, respectfully.

-{}-

BOOOWSHISH!

All thought was interrupted an hour later as a loud explosion rent the air. The sound was rather strange for an explosion, more like a cross between a hurricane and an explosion to be honest. The sound was accompanied by a fountain of dirt and debris that almost reached the same altitude they were flying at.

Thankfully the explosion was far ahead of them and didn't put either of them in danger but it drew their attention immediately.

"Land there!" Louise shouted while Dovahkiin was already changing trajectories without her words egging her on to get there.

BOOOWSHISH!

As she approached the settling dust of the first explosion, the cloud of a second explosion broke the tree line farther down a road that was coming into sight as they descended.

Dove instantly banked to the left and made for the new cloud since battle seemed to be following that road.

The cloud was thick and tickled at Dovahkiin's nose, she closed her eyes and let out a series of short sneezes while Louise coughed. Before the smoke had caused her to sneeze, Dovahkiin caught the scent of blood. The sound of a loud screeching whiny called out to indicate that at least one horse was hurt somewhere in the mess.

 **"LOK VAH KOOR,"** Dovahkiin shouted into the pillar of dust when she caught her breath enough. The air quickly cleared as the dust settled to the side of the road.

Laying on the road were four musketeers, Agnes and Michel were two others Dovahkiin hadn't known.

The horses and humans were thrown around like dolls. Two of the animals weren't struggling to stand, instead they lay in the dirt; one looked like it had broken its neck while the other screamed its last, bleeding out as something it was carrying in the saddle had punctured deeply into its hide.

Louise jumped off Dovahkiin and raced over to the fallen musketeers. Agnes and Michel were getting to their unsteady feet relatively unharmed but were heavily bruised and Michel had a deep gash on her arm, the other two were worse.

One young brown haired woman with high cheekbones added her screams to the horses as she came back into wakefulness from a daze and found her leg right pointing at ninety degrees to the left just above the knee.

The last girl didn't wake up, she lay on her stomach with her hands limps splayed by her sides, facing the tree line. Her white cloak absorbing her own growing pool of blood. It looked like her pistol had discharged in the fall. Her eyes were open and her mouth was open like she had been crying out in pain when she had died.

Agnes when to her side and quickly reached for her neck, praying for a beat when she knew she wouldn't find one.

"Aurear is gone," she said stiffly.

Michel was holding the hand of the other musketeer as she fought to silence her own voice, sweat forming on her forehead from effort. "Lela is in need of medical attention," she summed up.

Louise reached into her pocket, inside was her small bottle, "here," she said handing it to Michel, "It will help with the pain."

Michel growled, eyeing the bottle, "I don't think alcohol will help, she needs all of her senses right now."

Louise growled right back, "Just drink it."

Lela was desperate for anything to take the pain away and reached for the bottle. She took it from her hesitant Lieutenant and drank everything in a gulp.

It wasn't alcohol, she cried out again as the pain in her leg flared and then surprisingly it dimmed to a low ache. Looking down she gaped as her bent leg now lay straight in front of her. Michel looked at Lela as her subordinate gasped and then followed her gaze to the injured leg.

She gasped as well.

"I wouldn't trust it with too much weight any time soon," Louise said to the awe struck pair, "Dove didn't create that draft to fix more than a stab wound so I'm kind of stretching it by having it fix the bone."

"That was one of Baroness Bosquet's creations?" Michel asked thinking out loud. Her open ended mission to be the woman's assistant might be more profitable then she had originally thought.

 **"Agnes,"** Michel looked up at the strange voice to see the dragon, a DRAGON of all things, talking to her captain. **"I am sorry for your subordinate, but we must carry on if we are to catch the one who cast the spell that took her from this world."**

Agnes took a moment of silence as she settled Aurear to be picked up latter.

"Right," Agnes said standing up, "Michel," Michel stood ready for orders, "I need you to stay with Lela. I agree that she shouldn't trust that leg just yet, watch over them both until reinforcements arrive." She turned to the pink mage, "Can your familiar fly us both?"

Louise frowned and decided to put her money where her mouth was, "Why don't you ask her yourself? She is standing right there"

Agnes blinked in surprise and tried again this time to the dragon, "sorry, can you fly both of us?"

 **"Haven't tried carrying more than one before, but it shouldn't be too hard,"** the dragon responded and lowered her head.

Agnes kept her face composed as she went up and mounted the dragon, sitting at Dovahkiin's shoulders but like any new dragon flyer, was internally panicking. "Why don't you have any form of saddle?" she asked worriedly.

 **"You saddle a horse,"** Dovahkiin answered, **"Not a friend, unless you're into that kind of thing~."**

Agnes blinked as she tried to figure out if the dragon had just made a joke. Louise climbed up and settled just behind her familiar's horns.

"Maybe we should make one for if we have to fly in combat," Louise suggested as she climbed up, "bare back has worked so far but there isn't may places I can grab onto you if you decide to do stunts."

 **"I will consider it,"** Dovahkiin said quickly.

Dovahkiin's joke kept Agnes distracted long enough for her to ignore the bunching of Dovahkiin's body until she was forced down onto the dragon's shoulders by the rush of her near vertical takeoff.

"IIIIIEEEEEE!"

Agnes panicked, thrashing around as much as she could while holding onto the ridge in front of her with a death grip. Louise would be right; a saddle would make this a lot easier on the rider.

Louise got irritated with the other passenger's screaming quickly and after letting her scream for those thirty seconds shouted at her, "YOU'RE A MUSKETEER, A STRONG, NOBLE PERSON DESPITE YOUR BIRTH, DEAL WITH A LITTLE ALTITUDE!" and that seemed to shock a little bit of sense back into the captain as she was finally silent.

She instead glared at the pink mage for a little bit but decided to start focusing on containing her reactions better in the future. She growled to herself in determination, her bruises ached from the sudden shift and she could focus on that instead. She would continue onwards for her queen.

Louise kept her eyes focused on the road below her familiar for the queen. They were coming up on the lake before she saw any sign of her. "Dovahkiin, there is a white horse up ahead with two riders," she called out over the low wind.

 **"I see it,"** Dovahkiin answered and dove towards the horse.

* * *

 **Sorry for taking so long, it has been crazy here with moving.**

 **I lost a good five hundred words in transit from one house to the next!**

 **anyway, back to work writing.**

 **Thank you for all the ideas and opinions for Dove and possible children.**


	31. Chapter 31

**Eggs or live birth...**

 **Random thought someone PM'ed with me about.**

 **Familiar of Zero is owned by me**

 **Skyrim is owned by me**

 **-(this will happen, in a million years or so)-**

 **Until then**

 **they aren't.**

* * *

 **Guest000: I'm thinking about how to reveal that Dove is an elf, so far no blunt ideas. However, there might be some slow reveal to those in power. Sheo might be willing to let Tabitha's mother go, for a price.**

 **VulpineSnow: Henrietta was stupid in this part. There is no other way to put it. But, the pain of losing, regaining, only to lose someone you love again is not something to disregard.**

 **guest: I plead the fifth, did you just re-post the same review?**

 **Touhou is Life: How did I 'confirm' that Dove is a masochist? was it the joke about saddles?**

 **XSDStitch: I don't think Ice form works on inanimate forces of nature. They actually fall off the horse in the anime from something swooping down from above, disarm would work, I honestly forgot that time stop exists since I almost never use it. Bend will would sour relationships with the Queen from that point forwards. Turn undead... I would have to fire up Skyrim and try it on a wraith man.**

 **Akshka: It's here.**

 **Dovgrahdeen: The spirit wasn't told they had it so she still thinks their looking ans she does have the patience of centuries. The Headmaster wasn't trying to profit, he's a content with his life as is in my opinion. He told her because of how small she looked in the situation.**

 **RedBurningDragon:... I don't Guiche is around since the war has begun so the random aggression wouldn't effect him :{. One thought I had for a reveal was that the Church threatens her children (If I giver her any)**

 **...**

 **...**

 **Then the place get a new paint job since they didn't realize she was a dragon on top of an elf.**

 **alexc123: Very justified, I'm proud of how I wrote that part.**

 **Fez8745: She was distracted by Wardes, she had lost her temper and didn't think to heal him, that was one of the things she held against herself later.**

 **amimai002: You're welcome.**

 **perfectshade: I know, it was almost literal food for thought to me. Thank you for the advice, I feel like I'm thinking about the _deed_ too hard sometimes. Yup, Siesta does fear nobles on some level but she does have Dove as a friend and is starting to recognize that others might be like that to. I hate doormat people so I'm not writing Dove as one, she does follow Louise for her own reasons but not because she can't function without her.**

 **True, but when done degradingly they lose all appeal. Dragging things on won't help anyone and they both recognized that. I think that Dove would recognize the pressure of the position, she will still be mad but not explosively so. I feel that there isn't enough attention on red shirts like her, either they don't get hurt or stay in the background, so I gave them names at least.**

 **The entire event is a secret so I don't think that Tabitha would be aware and hence won't worry. Depends on how far Dove and Tabitha's relationship has progressed when I reach that point in the story. I wasn't thinking about the potion mechanics so I just wrote it like it happens in the game.**

* * *

Henrietta hugged Wales closer to herself as they reached the shore of Landorian lake. She sighed as the love and trust she felt for her companion surged again.

Wales, her love, was alive. His body double had been the one Louise had seen die. It was so incredible that she was sure her heart would burst from the joy she felt.

He had asked her to come with him to Albion and she had eloped through the night, through the moon light, with him riding all night while she slept in his arms.

When she had woken up he had still been there as if the sleepless night hadn't bothered him at all. He was perfect like that.

The one mar in her waking was that her musketeer force had almost caught up with them and Wales had had to cast a spell at them. Both times he had asked her to remember their pledge of love. When they had first met at the lake they were going to they had both sworn on the lake to love each other forever and her worry had abated.

Ariving at the lake, she tore her eyes away from her love and looked for the ship he had said was there. The area was dark and heavy rain clouds were beginging to unload their cargo.

SHA-WHOWWSH THUD!

The horse reared and Wales seized her just before the both of them were bucked off and landed in a heap on the ground. She looked up in time to gasp as Louise and Agnes jumped off Louise's familiar Dovahkiin.

 **"** **Didn't the blond one bite the sword?"** the dragon asked as she eyed the two of them on the ground with narrowed eyes. She didn't like the implication of Necromancy she saw before her.

Louise's eyes widened as she recognized the man before them. "Prince Wales! He's dead." It didn't take a genius to figure out what must have happened, "it must be Andvari's ring," she muttered working through the situation before her.

"You tricked her to come here!" Louise accused him and Agnes drew a pistol, her hand trembled as she remembered whose pistol it was.

Wales once more looked deep into Henrietta's eyes, "are you alright?" he asked as if the newcomers and their accusations weren't even there.

"Yes," Henrietta answered breathlessly before they both got to their feet.

 **"** **That's sweet,"** Dovahkiin growled in disgust, **"Did you show half as much care after you killed her guard with your magic?"**

Henrietta stiffened in her love's grip but didn't move away from him. "Please princess," Louise jumped in, "That's a phantom of Wales! He died and was brought back with Andvari's ring to kidnap you!"

"What a foolish thing to say," 'Wales' quickly answered for Henrietta. He pulled her to her feet and held her close, "Not only do you assume that I kidnapped my love, she came willingly, but you assume that I'm some zombie a ring created."

Wales then tilted his head, "I have heard of Andvari's ring. It's a magic item that gives false life to the dead, right?" he chuckled darkly, "If something like that did exist then it would be a frightening this to have, wouldn't it?"

 **"** **It exists,"** Dovahkiin stated, **"we have seen it, and all necromancy is frightening but one that is so hard to detect like this ring is even worse."** Internally she was confused; it was odd that Wales would almost seem to contradict himself while arguing with them.

"Henrietta," Louise tried reaching her new queen, "Please come to us. He isn't Wales."

"Louise! Do not speak nonsense!" Henrietta shouted at her friend, "Wales had a body double in that church. That is who you saw die, Louise not him."

Wales smirked in what could only be called an evil way right behind her back. It didn't look natural on his face, as if even he was forcing the expression.

"You will let us leave," Henrietta ordered defiantly.

"Princess!" Louise cried, afraid of what would happen if she stood aside and let Henrietta leave.

BANG!

Wales's head jerked backwards with the sound and Henrietta turned, shock filled her face as she saw the gaping hole in Wales's head.

"That was for Aurear," Agnes said coldly as she let said musketeer's scavenged pistol fall to her side. She had ended the threat to her Queen and now Aurear could rest in peace.

Instead of falling over like any good corpse would, Wales just straightened up after a moment and waited for his head to close around the bullet now lodged in his cranium. "It is meaningless," he intoned, "you cannot hurt me."

"Princess, get away from him!" Louise shouted and Agnes hissed at her failure. She subtly started to check if she had another pistol ready before cursing when she found that she didn't.

"Wale," Henrietta said in shock and took a few steps back to Louise's palpable relief.

 **"** **Move Henrietta!"** Dovahkiin shouted and leapt towards the blond.

"I said ATACKING ME IS MEANINGLESS!" Wales shouted and swept his wand towards the dragon.

Pain lanced across Dovahkiin's face as a wave of razor sharp air cut into her scales. Unlike most air mages, Wales had been trained to form the air into a razor thin blade and his natural royal status granted him more magic than a normal noble.

His spells because of this effect actually did some damage to Dovahkiin and she started bleeding from the slashes.

Dovahkiin roared in pain. Burning was too good an end for the overeager corpse she decided. **"RII VAAZ ZOL!"**

Wales dodged to the side, placing Henrietta at his back and cast another spell at Dovahkiin.

Dovahkiin roared in pain as another opening came into being on her skin. The cuts weren't deep but they stretched for at least three feet in length and hurt.

"Stop hurting her!" Louise shouted, "Princess can't you see what he's doing? Would the Wales you knew do something like this?"

Henrietta stood there looking lost, clutching her wand with both hands. "He said that he would love me for all eternity," She said almost to herself. "No. NO! He is Wales, my love, he isn't dead," She said louder.

"Don't be fooled!" Louise cried out as Dovahkiin growled hoping that the pink mage could talk her out of this.

"How would you know if I'm being fooled!?" Henrietta shouted, "Have you ever been in Love? This is what it feels like, it draws you. If you loved someone you would follow that person, even if you had to leave everything behind to do so. Please," she begged, "let us go Louise, peacefully."

"I can't," Louise said, "You would be captured and hurt. Please open your eyes!"

Henrietta narrowed her eyes and her voice became dark and commanding, "This is an order from the Queen. Louise Francoise, this is my last order to you. Move out of my way!"

Louise flinched and bit her lip, pain as if she had been slapped, hurt, radiated from her as she knew that she was supposed to follow that order but she couldn't bring herself let her friend go.

 **"** **You haven't been with Wales, dead or alive, long enough to truly know what love is,"** Dovahkiin said causing the princess to turn her angry gaze on the dragon, **"There are a multitude of emotions that what you feel could be, some are even influenced by magic like lust or infatuation."**

"It matter not what you think," Henrietta said moving up and nestling into her love's arms, "I have made my decision to follow Wales where ever he goes."

 **"** **Even unto the enemy? The people who killed the real Wales?"** Dovahkiin asked sarcastically, **"no deal, we aren't moving."**

Agnes moved, darting to the side she made to flank the two and support the dragon.

"STAY AWAY!" her queen shouted and swung her metal wand around, creating a large barrier of ice in between her and the captain of her guard.

Wales threw another slice of air at the dragon in front of him, aiming for her eyes.

Dovahkiin whipped her head down and luckily the air passed over her horns. **"Rii Vaaz Zol!"** she returned only for the nimble necro to dodge her again. 'Could he have gotten faster in death then he was in life?' Dovahkiin wondered angrily.

Henrietta trembled as they fought, the cold rain wasn't the cause of her shaking. Her indecision, fear, and pain was clearly written in her expression. She couldn't accept what Louise had said as truth. She had already lost Wales once, the pain of losing him twice would destroy her.

Suddenly her hands were stilled by _his_ closing around them, she felt him stand just behind her, steadying her. "This is for the best," he assured her, speaking into her hair, "all we want is to leave."

Dovahkiin growled and moved towards them.

Henrietta's wand pulsed with pure light, Wards pointed the both of their wands at the dragon.

"Unite the Water Triangle and the Wind Triangle!" he shouted and his wand pulsed with disturbing purple light.

A tornado formed from the tip of their wands. This tornado was large with lines of sharp ice twisting around it, something unlike any halkeginian mage had ever seen before on a battle field.

"The Privilege of the selected royal family, Hexagon Magic," Wales said calmly as the tornado moved towards the dragon and mage.

Dovahkiin wasn't impressed.

 **"** **LOK VAH KOOR!"**

She shouted at the opaque funnel of wind and cold water, causing it to shrink. She growled, it should have died, and started to shout again but then the tornado was upon them.

She threw herself upright on her hind legs, her wings buffeting the wind, trying to push the attack back and to her surprise she managed to hold it there.

"Hey girly," Derf shouted over the wind from his position on Dovahkiin's neck ridge, "use the book of invocation!"

Louise looked down at the sword, "the what?" she asked confused.

"The book you got from the queen! The blank one," Derf reiterated. His power was flowing through Dovahkiin, affecting the very wind she beat with her wings. However, it wouldn't last long.

Louise pulled out the book she had kept on her person at all times and started flipping, it was still as blank as before. She started to make that fact clear to the pervy sword with some impolite language just as letters began glowing on the page.

"Told you so," Derf said smugly at her shocked look.

"Hold that back partner!" Derf shouted turning his attention to Dovahkiin.

She snarled back, **"I'm the only daughter of the god of the sun! There's no way a little breeze will best me!"** she was understandably getting dragon level pissed at the corpse and it showed through her normally controlled actions.

Louise started to chant the spell she found. "Ful blisars ansul ken."

 **"** **How long is this spell?"** Dovahkiin asked, used to either nonverbal or short phrase spells.

"As long as it needs to be!" Derf shouted, "It's your job as Gandalf to hold the enemy off until then!"

 **RROOOAARHSHH!**

Dovahkiin roared and hissed at the wind as she beat her wings faster.

"Gyofu need nousis-"

 **"** **I'm going to kill whoever thought a long spell on the battle field was a good idea."**

"Heilos iala-"

Dovahkiin's breath was becoming labored and her wings were starting to shake from the flying and constant use.

"Elpeo Y's!"

Louise finally finished her spell, and light, similar to that which had burned the Albion fleet to ashes burst from her book and raced straight for the sky.

Less than a second later the light came back down in the form of lightning. Wales screamed for almost ten seconds as the pillar of burning light that connected land and sky flicked. It twisted like it was under tension before bursting out in little rivers in the air.

The wind burst as the magic that had held it together faded and Dovahkiin allowed herself to fall back onto her 'hands' and legs. She was breathing heavily and her tongue lay outside her mouth as she sucked at the cool, rainy air.

To her annoyance the rain soon stopped and fog started to come in off the lake.

-[]-

Henrietta ran forwards and grabbed at the body of her love. She lifted his singed head into her lap, he was surprisingly still in one piece.

She felt a prickling in her eyes and she dissolved into quiet tears, soft sobs racking her body as she held Wales silent head in her lap.

Louise and Agnes stood by, feeling their queen's pain. Dovahkiin, despite her anger at the corpse, she was respectful of who he had been in life and let her morn him.

Then he twitched.

Dovahkiin twitched in response, her tail moved and she had to repress the impulse to crush Wales into paste. He moved his hand to Henrietta's face. "Wales," the young queen gasped.

"Henrietta," the dead, alive, re-dead-ifying prince responded looking into her eyes, "Do not cry." He looked like he was about to cry himself but he worried about much more. "Even though I was being controlled, I want you to forgive me," he asked Henrietta.

He turned to look at Agnes, "you to, please miss guard, please forgive me and protect Henrietta despite what our action have caused."

Agnes frowned and grit her teeth, her thoughts raced behind her eyes before she relaxed, "it wasn't your fault, the one who controlled you is to blame."

Wales smiled in relief at her words, "Thank you. Henrietta, I need you to do something for me."

Henrietta nodded, "anything for you Wales," she said touching the hand on her face.

"Promise me, Henrietta, that you will forget about me," Henrietta drew back, shock written on her face. "Promise me that you will forget about me and find love again," it sounded as if the words pained him more than the holes in his decaying body but Wales forced them out anyways.

Henrietta was unconsciously shaking her head before he finished speaking. "I need to hear your promise Henrietta, swear on the lake like we did long ago, swear to the water spirit," he gasped out the last few words as his strength seemed to be leaving him.

Henrietta shook her head again, this time with more urgency. "I… cannot possibly promise such a thing," she remembered their promise of love, it would be too painful to have to say a new promise to… replace, their old one.

It just didn't work like that, love wasn't meant to die and be replaced by someone else.

Wales started to panic at her refusal, his eyes widened further and his breath became a little more raged. "Please Henrietta," he begged for her happiness.

"NO. I CAN'T MAKE A FALSE PROMISE!" Henrietta surprised them all by shouting.

Wales paling wasn't just from deadly blood loss, "I have no time left, I won't be with you much longer. Please, promise me before I'm gone."

"Then promise me that you'll love me forever," Henrietta begged.

Wales smiled as he felt himself slowly fading, "I would love to. If only, I would, but the dead, can't promise an eternity, Henrietta. Forgive me," he was crying now.

"I couldn't, say those, words three years, ago, either. We were never bound to be- urlk!" He started choking as blood started fill his lung and coat his chest from the wound that had killed him the first time.

Suddenly it was like he was given a calm, the pain left his eyes and he looked her right in the eyes. "I am glad that I met you, Henrietta," his voice was as strong as it had been when he was alive despite his fading, "I loved you."

Then the false life left his eyes and he returned to the grave.

"Wales, Wales, WALES!" Henrietta cried, her eyes pouring tear and she buried her head into his chest and screamed her grief.

Louise, Agnes, and Dovahkiin stood vigil as the queen's screams echoed over the still lake and died like her love in the fog.

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Dovahkiin flew back towards the academy with Louise on her back.

"They loved each other."

Dovahkiin didn't stop looking forwards as she flew. **"That would be reason enough to account for her actions today,"** she said calmly. It didn't feel right to be angry with the Queen, all of Dove's anger at how irresponsible her actions had been drained away as she screamed her pain at the lake side.

Louise huffed, "I was thinking that… they were willing to run off together just to be in love. Do you think... we'll find anything like that?"

Dovahkiin flew on for a while in silence before answering. **"You are a beautiful young woman, any man would be lucky to marry you,"** she felt that she had answered Louise's real question adequately, but another part said she should have said more.

"My family sent those glasses to me yesterday to help me find a man I was attracted to," Louise said in a tone that seemed like she was more thinking out loud that addressing her familiar.

"They apparently think that I just don't know what I'm feeling when I look at guys so they sent the glasses to help me decide on someone to… get involved with. Sounds ridicules right? How can you be in love and not realize it without needing a pair of sparkly glasses to tell you?" Louise laughed bitterly.

Dovahkiin snorted, **"even a fool should be able to tell when they are in love with a person. Which member of your family sent them? They sound like a Hefah."**

"Don't call my sister an imbecile," Louise said remembering when she had heard Dove last use that word.

Dovahkiin was surprised Louise remembered, fortunately dragons couldn't blush. She rushed on instead.

 **"** **She sounds like it,"** Dovahkiin retorted, **"When you love someone it will be obvious immediately. My mother always said she just knew when she first laid eyes on my father."**

"How does a god have a child like you anyway?" Louise asked, "If I remember correctly you said that your mother was a scullery maid but your father was a god."

Dovahkiin sighed as if Louise just didn't see the obvious, **"Akatosh is the father of my soul, I was talking about how my mortal parents, who are just man and woman made love together that I resulted from."**

"But how would Akatosh know you would be born?" Louise asked, "he knew you were going to be female before you were born. How did he know they would even like each other to begin with? How did he know you would result the way you are now?"

 **"** **The mother of my soul is Mara, the mother goddess of love,"** Dovahkiin said simply, **"She brought them together and knew they would stay afterwards."**

Louise frowned, "So your mortal mother was influenced by the goddess of love."

 **"** **Don't say that, it makes it sound like Akatosh and Mara did something wrong to make me,"** Dovahkiin said with a little heat.

Louise groaned, "the thing is, that means your mother isn't a viable example of a relationship anymore. In most marriages the man first gifts the lady with girfts or poems," Louise started explaining courtship up to marriage.

"Next you two date for a while, he takes you to nice places, then the guy talks to your parents and they decide if it is the right match for you."

Dovahkiin was sure it didn't happen the way Louise was describing. Louise returned to her point, "Your mother knew your father would be the one she loved because, by your own words, she was influenced by a goddess. Normal courtships don't happen like the one your parents were a part of."

Dovahkiin was silent as she thought about her words. The guys and parents seemed to do most of the decisions for the possible bride according to Louise. The bride got final say, but that could be overridden by more forceful parents according to her.

Louise returned to her own insecurities, unaware that she was making Dovahkiin even more uncomfortable, "What about us that don't have your nine divine hinting at who we will love? How do I know when I've found the guy that would leave everything for me like Henrietta would for Wales? How do I recognize him?"

 **"** **I hadn't thought of that,"** Dovahkiin admitted sourly.

Dovahkiin decided that she would have choose who she married despite how Louise explained it. Still, having her mother's example of what love was explained away as god's toying around was a bit of a blow to the image of her mother she held in her heart.

 **'** **I don't think I can say anything on the subject now,'** Dovahkiin realized, **'am I truly unaware of how other people find love?'** She felt a little lot now, like when she was trying to find the third keeper in the soul cairn.

Louise looked over the dragon's shoulder at Dovahkiin as she flew on in silence.

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They landed in the academy courtyard. Louise slid off of Dovahkiin trying to do so silently since Dovahkiin still looked thoughtful, she didn't want to intervene on her mood.

Up ahead Kirche and Tabitha were standing at the door to the girls' dormitories. As soon as Louise slid off Kirche moved towards them trailing Tabitha.

"Where were you two? I went to your room and you weren't there, did you two sneak off for some early morning flying or something? Seriously we need to put a bell or something on your door if you're going to leave me behind," She asked and mock ordered loudly.

Louise looked at her in a way that asked for silence, she lifted her finger to her lips and gestured to Dovahkiin who was looked at the grass in front of her with a glazed expression.

Kirche looked between Dovahkiin and Louise a few times in confusion but seemed to catch the thoughtful mood and remained silent.

Tabitha shifted her head to the side and examined both the rider and dragon. Louise looked a little tired and had obviously gotten up early. It was almost eleven in the morning and she looked like she had been up for at least five hours. She must have been flying somewhere important, and had obviously just got back.

Dovahkiin, her examination continues, was tired as well. Physically she was letting her head droop and breathing was faster than normal, but what seemed to be affecting her the most was her mental state instead of any physical pain or discomfort.

She moved with her usual silent gate around to stand just in front of Dovahkiin's head and stood there for a moment.

Dovahkiin raised her head a little to acknowledge the blue mage, looking at her with conflicted eyes. Tabitha raised a hand and laid it down on the dragon's head.

Dovahkiin sighed and closed her eyes, feeling the comforting hand stroking on her scales.

"How long do you think it will take until they kiss?" Kirche stage whispered to Louise with amusement. Louise actually punched her in the ribs as her words snapped Dovahkiin out of her mood.

She turned and growled at Kirche who just smirked at the annoyed dragon while rubbing her side. Dovahkiin sighed again and shifted away from Tabitha's contact, much to both of the women's, dragon or otherwise, disappointment.

 **"** **Louise,"** Dovahkiin said getting the pinks attention, **"The best way to learn to use a sword is to carry one. I want you to carry Derf in his sheath everywhere from now on just in case he's needed."**

Louise started to complain about taking a sword into class but a look from Dovahkiin silenced her as she moved off towards a secluded area to change her shape and officially start the rest of the day.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Dove pealed bananas and stirred her mix of brown sugar, nutmeg and banana liqueur. She focused on making the banana foster large enough for the entire school.

She was slowly getting over her melancholy mood from before. She softly rubbed where Tabitha's had had rested, that touch had helped. Dove didn't know why, just that it did. However, she needed something to snap herself out of it the rest of the way.

She looked at Martone who was mixing mint oils into one of vats of ice cream before moving on to the other to add coco and chunks of chocolate.

Dove frowned and looked over at the cutlery and serving bowls, her eyes reaching the staff serving platter, specifically the headmasters portion.

'Revenge was a dish best served cold. Revenge is so sweet' she remembered people saying. A diabolical grin grew onto her face, 'revenge is ice cream.'

-[]-

Osmond sat eating with the rest of the staff in the staff room.

The meal was as delicious as any that Martone and Dove had made before. The cooks always seemed to outdo themselves with each dish, making the best food he had ever tasted.

Martone had baked his famous pasta that was lightly flavored until you added parmesan, then the flavor would explode in your mouth.

And of course Dove would create a desert that would be the talk of the academy for the next week, or until she decided to make desert again and the talk from the new delicacy would over run the tales of her last creation

Osmond sighed as he thought of how Dove. She must have felt so betrayed when she learned he had told the new queen about her potion, he hoped she would forgive him.

He truly understood why she kept the knowledge of the potion a secret but when he had sworn his loyalty to the new queen he had felt compelled to tell her about the fact that Louise was a void mage and that Dove had created a potion that could help them in this trying time.

The Queen had seemed so small and young to him, she needed something to help pull her through this war.

While he was thinking about the Queen and his scorned chef; desert arrived. He smiled as three large tubs of vanilla, chocolate, and mint ice cream were brought in by the servers along with a cauldrons worth of banana foster.

Receiving his white and blue bowl, Osmond picked up his spoon and quickly drove it into the mint ice cream tub. Most portions were handled by the servants but a desert like this was something you were encouraged to serve yourself.

Filling/overflowing his bowl, Osmond then ladled a ton of the warm banana foster on top. He ignored the nurses glare at so much sugar for an old man as he bounced like a child back to his seat and sat down at his spot at the table.

As he eagerly tried to get the biggest load of the desert he could possibly fit on his spoon to be larger, he happened to notice that his napkin was different from all the others. It had writing on it, "Revenge is a dish best ser-" he read out loud just as his spoon reached the bottom of his bowl.

There was a flash of light and the staff was treated to an impromptu light show as the rune at the bottom of Osmond's bowl was activated.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Dove meditated with Tabitha that night.

The after math of her petty prank left Osmond covered in sticky banana flavored sauce, the staff for a moment on high alert, and the headmaster living a little in fear of his meals from now on.

It was only the beginning.

He deserved it and she wasn't going to be kind in her revenge. For now, she might make more of his meals explode before she considered forgiving him.

But what he caused to happen, happened and she couldn't change it now. Instead she will get her petty revenge until he begged for mercy.

Dismissing her revenge plans for now, she instead focused back on the day she felt the confusing warmth with Siesta during their flying lesson, she was trying to identify it. She had meditated on it before but hadn't quite found the correct emotion to associate it with.

The feeling had been a surprise when Siesta had first sat down but had slowly grown from there. The warmth had seemed to move around her body, jumping higher in her chest or descending lower in her torso to Dove's hips each time Siesta had moved around.

Dove's eyes snapped open and she stared straight ahead, happenstance led her eyes to focus on Tabitha.

The way it had felt was disturbingly similar to something a drunk Brynjolf had described during a heist; a guy had gotten his purse lifted by a lap dancer because of his reaction to her, he had been to... Horny? That is what he had called it, among other, much more vulgar things.

With her expectation of what 'love' was broken by Louise, she found herself meditating on new things. She reached up and grabbed her head as the head ache she knew would come from this started to pound.

Was she horny for other women? Was she attracted to women like a guy was? Was there a deeper reason for her similar reaction to a 'lap dance'?

She had a guy who had tried to court her that she had felt strange to, she thought he just wanted her fame since she hadn't known upon seeing him like her mother had described.

On the other end of the spectrum, mostly drunk men had asked or tried to get her into their bed when she was traveling. This had felt entirely different from either of the two situations.

She remained silent, not out of respect for the other meditator, but out of literal jaw drop. She was suddenly very glad that Tabitha's eyes were close. The other girl quietly mouthed words to herself.

Dove's breath hitched as her gaze fixed itself on Tabitha's moving lips as she murmured 'Fus' over and over. She remembered what Kirche had teased her with that morning.

She blushed and stopped looking.

* * *

 **I don't know why,**

 **But if I make Dove pregnant**

 **then I want her to have twins**

 **It's the only thing on my mind right now,**

 **despite everything else going on in the story.**


	32. Chapter 32

**RAAAHHHRRRR!**

 **My bed room door was locked for two days.**

 **I had to smash the door to get in**

 **Familiar of zero is owned by another person**

 **Skyrim is owned by a company**

 **either are me**

* * *

 **there appears to have been an issue with the reviews so I don't have any way to respond to one or two**

 **sorry**

 **Guest000: Thank you. I think M'aiq the Lier might show up on one of their longer travels. The entire idea is funny.**

 **XSDStitsh: That might be an issue, Modding to much can make it hard to remember the original story. You don't need a guy, you need ###### and that's how I plan on getting Dove pregnant. Mara didn't force Dove's parents together, she helped them skip the 'getting to know you' phase of a relationship.**

 **the kitty killer: or hatch-lings in this case.**

 **RedBurningDragon: I think she would have some extreme pregnancy reactions but ranting about blonds might not happen. Thank you for the advice, still need to look up what happens with turn undead on undead (been to busy to do it for a while).**

 **Touhou is life: I have no idea. I just feel that they would have twins together.**

 **alexkehling: Whelp, there are no capitalized getting it with people in this story for now.**

 **Akshka: She didn't have the proper example of finding love, she knows about how babies are made but not how to find the right person.**

 **Guest: I also want her to paint the halls of the church red. But I can't have everything ;}.**

 **Properdecay: Bi does seem the right word for her. I don't think she should be able to change while pregnant for the baby's sake.**

 **Rook115: It would just be easier, and probably safer, to not change at all during pregnancy.**

 **NacNak: I know that's one reason I want them. Thank you.**

 **Dovgrahdeen: I decided on her revenge while eating some ice cream. Kirche might help, or let Dove fumble around with her emotions to see what comes from it in my opinion. For Louise and Kirche... I think that if their parents did find out then they would force the two of them to duke it out just to see who's child is better.**

 **perfectshade: I received an email saying you reviewed but couldn't find it on the site.**

* * *

There were a few things that Dove hated; necromancers, horses, crowds, and whiners.

She had various methods of dealing with all of these hated things: Necromancers were killed, Horses were ignored whenever possible causing her to walk everywhere, and crowds were avoided with the utmost of ease.

Whiners however, couldn't be avoided as easily since they just needed to be within hearing rage to be hated. They were the most irritating but least deadly of her pet peeves to be sure, but she would often deal with them by being irritating right back at the problem.

The problem with the scene Dove found herself in now was that EVERYONE was whining and she honestly couldn't fault them for their behavior this time around.

The courtyard was full of couples saying goodbye to their significant other. The boys had all been drafted into the military since things had started to heat up with the first actual invasion fleet from Tristian preparing to leave.

She felt genuinely sorry for these boys as their extra thick blanket of protection was being ripped away from them to be sent to the front line. That sentiment stopped her from being difficult to them as she put up with the entire crowd as they whined in sync with each other.

She sighed and continued her tasks as they cried and held each other, petted hair and some of the older ones kissed. She felt that those who had wanted to do more than kiss had already met up last night to do so with their loved ones.

-[]-

The best sends off to watch was Guiche and Montmorency as she apparently forgot that she was supposed to hate him for his unfaithful behavior and started crying over his parting words. Dove watched as he talked about the honor of battle while she cried that honor wasn't worth his life.

She was confused and wondered if this time he was being honest with what he said.

Dove had heard the tail end of their conversation as she moved past them on her way to complete her chores.

"To die protecting one's country," Guiche said calmly without looking at Montmorency, "Is this not the most honorable death for an aristocrat?" His face was composed but she remembered hearing him whimpering during the march to Talbes so his expression was probably bravo.

"Who cares about Honor?" Montmorency cried tearing up and clutching at the school pendent around her neck. She was truly worried for him, and let her feelings show. "If you die, then we'll never see each other again!" She cried.

Guiche was obviously stunned by her open emotions. His words had dropped the tone of over confidant ego and he seemed to genuinely care for her response. "Do you care that much about me?" he asked softly, touched by her honesty.

"Of course," Montmorency breathed looking deep into his eyes.

From there Dove lost interest as they started repeating each other's name and looking cute.

-[]-

Dove just snorted again and moved off towards the fountain to do the laundry. As she settled down with the weeks' uniforms for all the maids, she really didn't want to know what some of those stains were. Louise moved over to talk to her.

"The army is going to march on Albion," She stated.

Dove nodded and filled a bucket from the fountain, "I know, why are you bringing it up? Does it have anything to do with us since our orders are to wait here." Dove paused and gave a little more attention to Louise as a thought occurred to her.

'Is keeping us at the academy another one of Henrietta's ways of keeping her friend out of immediate harm's way?' she wondered, it would be very rude of her if that was the case since Louise wanted to help in the war.

Dove suddenly froze, ignoring the soaking laundry she was supposed to be scrubbing, as her something felt off, there was something nearby that was making her anxious. She sat upright and started looking around intently, holding a hand up to silence whatever Louise was saying in response.

'There,' she saw something in the sky, a flash of light.

"Louise," Dove said to the now mute girl, "is there supposed to be a dragon coming here?"

Louise frowned and looked up following Dove's gaze. "No," she said missing the dragon because of its altitude.

Dove growled and stood up. "Louise," she said catching the girl's attention, "hand me Derf."

Louise quietly handed Derf over to her familiar.

Dove stood up and moved away from the wall to gain space.

"Hey, what's that?" a student who had been crying to the sky asked when she noticed the moving spot of white.

Dove readied Derf to draw.

The dragon moved down in a non-threatening way, high with a near vertical landing as if to show that it wasn't going to strafe them. The dragon pumped his wings throwing a large burst of air around as he killed his momentum to land softly.

The crowd, except for Dove who just narrowed hers, covered their eyes and turned their heads as the wind buffeted them.

Dove quickly moved to the front of the crowd in case there was an attack.

The dragon just stood there stupidly patient as its rider leapt from the dragons back to land on both feet. The guy was blond, his cloths were either stupidly white and gold. Dove groaned as she took in that fact, it was going to be for the staff to do his laundry if he was staying. He also wore a blue cape.

The young man had a 'charm'ing smirk and was running a gloved hand through his pale golden locks as if he could settle them with a toss after the wind from flying, before opening his eyes. His eyes were two different colors, the left blue and the right red. Dove took note of the sword at his hip as every single girl behind her started gushing about his looks.

Over her shoulder Dove could see Montmorency leave a jealous Guiche's side to get a closer look at the new blond.

The blond left his dragon and moved towards the group.

Dove half drew her sword causing a gasp from the shocked girls and thankful respect from the boys, relieved that at least one girl was not being entranced by the new comer. The blond wonder stopped and half shifted his weight into a fighting stance as he heard the sound of drawing steel.

"There's no need for that," he said with another smile just for her. His eyes sized her up and he took another step forwards with a raised hand to take the dangerous weapon from the woman.

Dove drew a bit more of Der and he froze. "A random stranger, who is visibly armed," Dove started, "flies towards a group of students on a dragon during a time of war without letting anyone here know about it ahead of time," Dove's tone was grating and the man's smile dimmed as she spoke. "Forgive me for not being an idiot," she finished up.

The crowd was half scandalized at her actions and half willing to worship the ground she walked on from here on out. The split seemed to be down the gender lines.

The blond sighed and then spoke, "My name is Julio Chesare. I am a transfer student from Romalia. Pleased to meet you." Dove felt something in her die, maybe a few brain cells, when his teeth literally glittered from between his lips at her during his latest dashing smile.

"Nice story." she said flatly then called out to the pink girl in the group behind her, "Louise! Get Osmond, he'll know if this guy is on the level."

Louise looked between her private teacher and the handsome stranger before leaving.

Julio's eyes followed her until she vanished into the tower and he returned to smiling at Dove.

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A short time later the headmaster himself came out of the tower and hurried towards the group.

"Miss Dove," he called when he was within ear shot, "he is expected, there is no danger."

Dove easily slid Derf back into his sheath and moved back towards her laundry ignoring the looks she received and the blonds staring after her.

"I do apologize for that," Osmond apologized as he panted from running, "Flamen Julio."

There was a groan from the girls as he suddenly became unavailable. Dove frowned as she sat back down at the laundry, 'what is a Flamen?' she wondered.

Louise could see the confusion on Dove's face and answered her unspoken question. "Flamen was priests of the church, they report directly to the pope and have taken vows of celibacy, and to never take up the sword."

Dove snorted. "He wears a sword right there. I don't think he would be interested in keeping any other vows he might have made," she pointed out with dry humor.

Louise looked at her angrily and reprimanded her familiar, "He is a representative of the church, you should treat him with more respect then what you've shown so far."

Dove didn't respond.

"It is alright headmaster," the Flamen said then smiled at the crowd, "In order to come to Tristian, I have temporarily returned to secular life so that wield a sword." he looked around, "possibly even pursue relationships as well."

The about fifty percent crowd squealed like the greatest miracle in the world just happened.

"Told you so," Dove said without looking up from the dress she was scrubbing.

Louise fumed at Dove being right up until a shadow covered her. She turned around to see the blond teen behind her, he was holding out his hand.

"Hello, I'm Julio Chesare, pleased to meet you," his grin was just as sweet as before and Louise blushed to her roots.

Dove snickered, 'a flirt,' she categorized him.

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Dove sat in the back of the classroom, she was mostly caught up with the second year class and had been allowed to sit in on this class as a test of her skills.

She was even allowed to wear a second year uniform to blend in, wearing it she sat on the right side of the classroom splitting her attention between listening to Professor Colbert and picking at the blouse.

It had taken her several minutes to get used to the cloths since they were so very – breezy – different, then anything she had worn before.

While in Skyrim she had always worn either armor, armor, and robes that had been enchanted with various effects. As a maid she had only worn her uniform, her fighting uniform, and only once her armor again.

The school uniform was a lot skimpier than anything else so far and felt a little tight across her chest. She understood why Kirche left the top two or three buttons undone, it wasn't only to draw the attention of boys, and the skirt with tights were clear out of her comfort zone.

She bore it for now, the only good thing about this entire situation was that no one was paying any attention to her wardrobe insecurities. They were all looking at the only male their age in the room.

Julio had come to class still in the white and gold cloths he had arrived in. She did have to give credit where it was due though; he was one of the three only people actually giving professor Colbert any attention.

"The color of a flame becomes fainter as it's temperature rises," Colbert was trying to teach the class about metals and how they reacted to different levels of heat. However, as mentioned before, only three people were actually giving him any attention.

Dove was listening but she had heard or learned most of this while working in a forge. She had spent much of her time there asking about how the process worked instead of pounding the iron and had gotten quite a few smiths angry with her about the lack of product but then she had eventually come to the sky forge and Eorlund Gray-Mane had been delighted to teach her.

It was interesting to know that metallurgy was the same in Tristian as Skyrim.

Her flashback to her training on the forge was interrupted by the door to the class room bursting open and five pairs of armored feet clanking into the room.

Dove perked up and blinked at the door. "Agnes? Michel?" she muttered as she recognized the two lead women, the rest were also in musketeer uniforms.

"Everyone," Agnes announced, "out to the field now."

Dove just sat there blinking for a moment. The rest of the class did the same.

"W-who are you people?" Colbert asked the question on most of the student's minds.

"Her Highness' Musketeer Force," Agnes answered simply as if talking to someone who hadn't been paying attention to the obvious before returning her attention to the group, "We have been stationed at this school in order to provide you with training in military drills."

Michel stepped up and announced, "Class is cancelled."

The class and teacher was shocked. "Cancelled?" Colbert gasped. Agnes override any other sound he made.

"Assemble in the field," she ordered the students.

The students, including Dove, slowly stood up and started moving out.

"Everyone, please take your seats."

The students froze as Colbert's voice rang out authoritatively. Every single person in the room froze as they watched Agnes turn to look at the defiant teacher. "We are continuing the class," He said without any fear.

"Teacher," Agnes said politely but with equal authority, "we are in the midst of war. It is not a time to be holding classes on inane magical effects."

"It is because we are in a war that we must learn how foolish it is," Colbert said calmly but with a hint of sorrow, "All the boys might have joined the military, but I would like you not to bring war onto this campus!"

Dove widened her eyes as Colbert words registered with her. War wasn't a foolish thing; it was a very serious series of events. She could respect someone's choice to stay out of it but for a teacher to reject any form a protection for his students because it would 'bring the war here' was just plain stupid.

The war was there; it was just a fact they would have to live with. To deny any level of protection because of one professors views was dangerous since it didn't matter to your enemies if you buried your head in the sand or not when they came to pillage.

Agnes seemed to agree. She drew her sword, "SILENCE!" she barked and held the blade at Colbert's neck.

Dove coiled her muscles, the situation around her was becoming just as intense as she was. If Agnes felt so strongly about protecting the students then she should either ignore Colbert or reason with him, not threaten. What else was going on?

"I hate mages," Agnes said glaring at Colbert, "especially those who use fire."

Dove blinked, her temper rising. That had absolutely nothing to do with the previous conversation!

Dove growled internally. The only reason why Agnes might have brought it up was to make her threat more serious. However, if she was acting on her orders then she should have just respectfully ignored Colbert since orders from the queen in this land would supersede one protesting teacher.

But there had to be something deeper, more personal for Agnes, happening since these actions weren't like the collected women Dove knew. She was apparently let her hatred of fire mages control her actions and instead placed an innocent pacifist in apparently mortal danger.

Agnes and Colbert stared each other down for a few seconds before Colbert caved and Agnes smirked. Pulling her sword away from the teacher's neck, Agnes allowed Colbert to stager back against the wall and slide to the floor in a heap.

"Do not interfere with my duties," Agnes ordered smugly as she sheathed her blade.

"Out to the field," Michel ordered the students again.

The girls and Julio started making their way out of the classroom behind the musketeers.

Dove got up slowly and followed with the last of the students. As the group started moving out she stopped to stand next to Colbert. "I'm sorry," she said offering her hand to pull him up.

Colbert looked at her for a second before taking her hand and coming to his feet. "Do you agree with this, barbaric act miss Dove?" he asked, feeling the need to know that someone agreed with him.

Dove broke his hopes when she nodded her head and shrugged her shoulders.

"I agree with parts of both point of view," she said, "I think that we shouldn't seek out or initiate a full blown war but should be ready for it."

"You," she pointed at Colbert, "Have chosen to stay out of war, your reasons for doing so are your own and should be respected. However, by the same token, I think that our reasons for choosing to learn how to fight should also be respected. You didn't respect that choice when you ordered us to stay."

"But you weren't given a choice," Colbert argued, "she just strode in and ordered you to fight."

Dove shook her head, "she ordered us to learn protection in case we need it, true. None of us are going to fight unless we chose to go ourselves, it's a perk of being born with boobs in this country."

Colbert shook his head at her vulgar and surprisingly truthful words.

"Hey, your supposed to be outside," a musketeer asked from where she was poking her head back into the classroom, looking for deserters.

Dove gave Colbert a quick sorry smile before she left to follow the grumbling Musketeer outside.

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The students were all grouped together and had been provided with polearms that had cloths tied to the ends.

Agnes was giving out orders when they arrived.

"Captain, I found a deserter," the musketeer reported to Agnes.

Agnes looked up from where she had seized a blond student in a submission hold by the forearm.

"So what happened to her?" Dove asked Louise while pointing at the captain and water mage, ignoring Agnes for a second.

Louise looked away from Dove and mumbled to her feet, "Montmorency wanted to learn offensive or defensive magic instead of drills, Agnes disarmed her then asked her to cast magic."

"Ah," Dove said. 'Well they do need to be aware of their weaknesses,' she thought.

"Since you don't appear to think this class is as important as gossiping with your friends," Agnes said to the newcomer with exaggerated calm, "Maybe you would like to help me give an example of proper defensive fighting?".

"Sorry Agnes," Dove said causing the other girl to blink in surprise, "I was helping Professor Colbert to his feet."

"Baroness Bosquet?" Agnes suddenly realized who the deserter was. The group broke into whispers as they recognized Dove as a servant, but why did the captain refer to her as a noble?

"Hi~," Dove said imitating Kirche's more provocative mannerisms and ignoring the whispers.

Agnes floundered for a second, then steeled herself. "I assume you still think whatever conversation you were having with miss Valliere is more important than my drills?"

Dove smiled, "Nope, I was asking her for an update on what had happened so far. I like it that someone besides myself realizes that the wand is the weakest part of a mage."

Agnes blinked, she had never heard of a mage admitting such an obvious weakness before. "Very well," she finally decided, "Aife, toss the baroness a staff if you would."

A green haired musketeer picked up a staff and literally tossed it at Dove.

Dove felt like showing off a little, she couldn't explain why she wanted to use this spell, she just did. First she let the Magicka collect in her palms, instead of attaching a sensation to it she called and felt for a handle.

The magicka in her hand turned into a deep purple orb flecked with blue lightning. Throwing her fingers out wide then closed them, grasping at the smooth handle that was now in her hand.

Casually slashing the air with her hand, she sliced the wooden pole in half with an indistinct, wickedly hooked, and jagged looking sword that appeared to be wreathed in blue fire.

The students gasped and all the musketeers grasp for their weapons.

"If you don't mind," Dove said softly, "I have some potions to work on, feel free to come find me after your drills Captain Agnes." She 'dropped' the sword letting it vanish into oblivion and moved off around the academy to the front.

Julio watched her leave with interest before making his way over to Louise.

"Hello," he said turning the smile back on, "would you like to work together for this drill?"

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Dove stood in her cave, working on a few potions. She really didn't like how Agnes handled the situation with Colbert and felt the need to get back at her for his humiliation.

Her revenge against Osmond was progressing smoothly, the shock rune in Osmond's desert bowl had been a good idea and the fire rune on his desk had incinerated and scattered an entire weeks' worth of paper work.

But for Agnes, in her opinion she needed something else. She had struck Colbert on a personal front so she would respond with such an attack. Dove cast her mind around for something that would be suitable. She wanted to do something more than just annoy Agnes, she wanted to do something permanent.

Then Dove blinked and focused on her collection of premade potions she had set aside.

Her grin grew wicked. That would be permanent, and she did say she hated _them_.

Decision made, Dove started looking for the ingredients for her idea in the forest.

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Agnes looked around at her mostly unwilling trainees.

There had been a large group who had moved to ask the only guy in the class to be his partner until he had decided on Miss Valliere as his partner. They had all been disappointed and that soured the training and caused a lot of distractions at first. It was now three hours into their practice and things were only now beginning to focus on training instead of the boy.

On the surface she was cool and collected. Deeper down on the other hand, she had been worried about his choice of partner, something about his being there didn't sit right with her besides him just happening to seek out the only void mage in the school. The feeling only grew as the day progressed and he started to get closer to Miss Valliere.

"I think this would be a better stance," the blond was standing behind Louise, and shifting her arms with one hand and correcting her legs with the other to make better use of her short stature.

Agnes narrowed her eyes at how close he was to the blushing Void mage. This was exactly what she was thinking about when she said there was something off. A priest shouldn't know about fighting to this degree, shouldn't be this familiar with a sword.

As she watched he quietly spoke to Louise, it looked like he was getting to know her but something about the situation rubbed her the wrong way.

You know what, everything about him just seemed to rub her the wrong way and she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

"How's everything going?"

Agnes turned to look at the voice, Dove was approaching from the entrance in the academy wall. Agnes blinked and looked at her confusedly, "Where did you go? I was sure you went to one of the towers."

Dove waved her hand in a whimsy-washy motion. "My secret laboratory," She said as if that explained everything.

Agnes couldn't spot any lie in her voice and that made her nervous.

-[]-

"Hello again," The blond and miss Valliere had broken formation and come closer to talk with the two of them.

"Shouldn't you two be doing drills?" Agnes pointedly asked, adding a glare at the disrespect.

Julio smiled at the Baroness, "I was thinking that I would like to spar with you, miss Bosquet. I heard that you are a phenomenal swordswoman."

Dove narrowed her eyes, "Where did you hear that? I don't exactly throw it around."

Julio just smiled more and shrugged his shoulders, "it's part of a rather interesting series of gossip I've heard recently, a noble who works with the servants, a swordswoman who prefers to cook, a mage of extreme talent who'd rather earn her own way through life despite her nobility granted to her by Brimir. You are an interesting puzzle, Miss Bosquet."

Dove growled, this guy rubbed her the wrong way. She didn't know that her thoughts were exactly the same as Agnes had been just a second ago. After a moment of glaring she looked to Agnes, "would it be alright~ if I kill him?"

Agnes sighed, as if truly regretful, "no, he's connected to the church and it would be hard to explain his body to any inquisitor they would send after him." It would have eased her mind if he had vanished but the head ache from his presence wouldn't have died with him.

"But I can still kick his ass, right?" Dove pleaded, beating the crap out of your problems was very therapeutic.

Agnes smiled at the compromise between killing the Falmen and her settling unease, "he did ask you to a spar, do your worst."

Agnes moved to Michel and quickly dispatched orders.

Michel looked at her in confusion before she nodded and stepped forwards, "ALRIGHT TAKE A BREAK!"

The girls all let their arms drop in relief. They didn't have the stamina for this kind of exercise, or any other real exercise.

Agnes stepped forwards, "Instead we are going to watch a spare between mister Chesare," there was a few cries of joy at her words, "and miss Bosquet."

A few murmurs popped up when Dove stepped forwards.

Dove looked around at the sound of so many mutterings before looking at Louise in confusion. Louise seemed to understand, "Only nobles have a last name. That just confirmed that you are actually a noble to them"

So now the students knew for sure that she was granted a title, great.

Agnes handed Dove a wooden sword while Michel did the same for Julio.

Dove gave the sword a quick swing, the balance was good and the weight was nominal. Checking her cloths, the skirt would allow movement easily enough. She was satisfied and settled into her stance as Agnes shouted.

"BEGIN!"

Dove flashed forwards in a lounge aimed for the blonde's face. He quickly threw his sword across his body and leaned the other way to gain space between himself and Dove's blade.

As he leapt to the side, Agnes started a commentary; "Notice that they are attempting to keep about five feet in between the two of them, that is the correct amount of distance you would want with these kinds of weapons…"

Dove tuned her out, only seeing her moving target. Julio moved forwards, hoping to catch her off guard as her own momentum carried her forwards.

Dove blocked his right hand swing and countered with another thrust that Julio leaned to the side to avoid.

Dove grabbed and ripped the ties of her cloak with her left hand, letting it settle to the ground, it would only get in the way otherwise.

Julio smiled at for a moment took in her remaining uniform as the garment settled. "At least let me take you on a date before going further," he said calmly with a wink.

Dove growled and lifted her sword for another attack. Julio stole the advantage by attacking first, he thrust at Dove's head and as she blocked high he swept at her legs.

Dove jumped over the low attack and brought her hands down in a powerful overhead swing.

Julio managed to stop the blade just shy of his head. "I've been meaning to ask you something, Dove. May I call you Dove?" he asked as he pushed back.

Dove snarled and took three steps back from the force of his push, "You can call me stormcrown, that is the title I like the most."

Julio moved forward to reengage her, his's smile was probably hiding confusion at the new title but he didn't let it show and moved to swing for the junction between her shoulder and neck, "Alright miss Stormcrown. I want to know about the spell you used to create that sword before."

Dove blocked the strike and seized his sword wrist in her left hand.

Unconcerned Julio twisted his hand and yanked it free. "I have studied many spells," he continued unabated, "But I have never heard of one that can create physical weapons out of air, did you use some artifact to help you do that? Or is it just something you learned from your home land?"

Dove smiled, "Something I learned." she then dropped to one knee and seized the hem of her dropped cloak.

Julio was caught off guard as she stood back up, pulling the cloak out from under him and sending him to the ground.

As he landed Julio banged his head on the ground causing the colors to swim in his eyes for a moment or two before his vision sharpened again and focused on the tip of the sword an inch from his nose.

Dove smirked, "I win."

Julio sighed and rolled on to his hands and knees. "I guess you did," he admitted, "tell me, can you teach this 'create weapons from the air' spell to the students? I'm sure they would love to have it as protection."

Dove cursed internally, "Sorry," she said making something up on the spot, "it required a vast amount of control over the wind element, I can't just teach it to anybody." 'or the strength to pull things from oblivion,' she said to sooth her integrity.

Julio sighed as if her words were a truly painful thing to hear. "I see," he said and gave her a smile, "thank you for the spar." He was quickly rushed by the girls who started petting at him, trying to find if he was hurt anywhere or just wanting to see if the muscles he must have were really there.

Dove nodded warily to him in acknowledgment before he was completely absorbed into the group of fawning women and started moving away from them.

'Time to start operation; revenge,' she thought.

"Hey, Agnes," Dove called to the captain.

Agnes looked at her questioningly.

"I have a potion that I need you to try, it won't hurt I just need to have one last human trial before I know for sure it's done," Dove smiled at Agnes.

Agnes gave her a weary look. "It won't hurt, the last person who drank it thanked me profusely for the ability to have some," Dove assured her.

Agnes still looked uncertain.

"Please?" Dove tried puppy eyes.

Agnes looked at her as if Dove was stupid. There was no way that she was going to drink some unknown concoction, even if it was for some test.

"Well," Michel said coming up, "we are supposed to help her with her potion making project," she reasoned out loud. She then added, "the drink she gave Lela probably saved her leg if not her life. What could go wrong with one someone else has taken before?"

Agnes thought about it and then nodded. "I guess we are supposed to help you," she admitted.

Dove smiled and gestured to an empty court yard, "It's over here."

* * *

 **SO,**

 **Chapter down**

 **looking for a new door**

 **and just making my way through life.**

 **time to focus on the potion next.**


	33. Chapter 33

**St~**

 **Sto~**

 **Story~**

 **Story story~**

 **StorystorystorySTORY~**

 **Attempting** **the Jaws theme song on a word doc is hard.**

 **Familiar of Zero belongs to another.**

 **Skyrim is to large to fit in my pocket.**

 **So I don't own either of them.**

* * *

 **OSDStitch: I'm not being very subtle about it. If the ambassador of the church disappeared then people would investigate, something Dove really wants to avoid.**

 **RedBurningDragon: I know, Thanks, it would cause Agnes so much grief if she did.**

 **Touhou is life: Who would be Robins replacement then?**

 **Akshka: Sorry, I don't think anyone will die for now.**

 **Guest000: I think you either like Julio or you want to punch him, there doesn't seem to be much middle ground.**

 **xCanaan: Thank you for all you your reviews, it has helped me a lot to have someone review like you did. One thing I'm trying to do is take your advice and shortening my responses.**

 **Properdecay: Of course.**

 **MasterXMaster: Your welcome.**

 **VulpineSnow: I had someone suggest I find a potion to increase breast size.**

 **alexc123: Ya, ether punch him or hug him. I have no middle grounds on how I feel about him as a character.**

 **Command8: ...You do know that now I'll have to make one or I'll go crazy-er then before, right?**

 **animesguardianangel: Agreed that it's a overreaction, but Dove is a bit of an impulsive person at times, especially when getting even.**

 **AnAncientBard: No she won't, she'll love her new toys (After she strangles Dove ;).**

 **slayst: True. Thank you.**

 **Boyzilla: You're welcome. Don't worry, I don't think any male could survive suddenly becoming pregnant.**

 **the Kitty Killer: I... already have names decided if I give Dove some. They are in Dovahzul. I think if she used only part then she might turn part way, don't know for sure.**

 **perfectshade: Ya, it sucks but kinda logical why they wouldn't have women on the battle field. I hadn't thought about Agnes being the instructor in that light. Doves opinion is mine entirely, fighting sucks but if you can't then you get squished. Dove is going to far, she just doesn't think she is since Agnes attacked Colbert in such an obviously sore point.**

 **It doesn't need to blow up literally in this case, while writing the chapter I realized that it was very politically damaging to do this. The question is, will she give credit where it's due and throw Dove under the bus? Dove was honestly confused and uneased by Julio's dragon, she's used to smart dragons and you could see the stupid on it some how.**

 **NacNak: It's rather sour but not that bad, the effects are what to look out for. Thanks.**

 **amimai002: I honestly have no idea who your talking about. I put that name in a google search and got Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg. Is that who you meant?**

 **Dovgrahdeen: Everyone needs a leason sometimes. even if your an instructor, teacher, or chef.**

* * *

Louise was walking through a second story corridor that lined one of the court yards, lost in her confusing thoughts.

She had left the group of students after the dual had ended.

She had felt odd watching the fight between Dove and Julio, she had felt responsible for the two of them fighting at all. True that no one had gotten hurt, but the fight shouldn't have happened at all. The reason why she felt responsible was because she had been talking to Julio…

-[]-

A little while before.

-[]-

"So, Louise, may I call you Louise?" Julio asked as he helped her spear work.

"It's, alright with me, if you call me Louise," Louise said breathlessly, lightly blushing.

Julio smiled, "That's good. I've been meaning to talk to you since I arrived. I have heard quite a lot about you."

Louise's blush grew larger stalling her drill motions, "W-what could you have heard about me? I'm just the youngest daughter of a duke." He couldn't know she was a void mage right? She had only learned about that a few days ago.

Julio patiently pulled on her pole to get her practicing again. "I've heard that you are a strong mage who rode into battle alongside your queen, then princess, casting fireballs from your bear hands. I've come to admire your fearless courage and talent for magic."

Louise's blush was now beyond red, it was borderline purple and covered her entire face.

She dropped her staff and started waving her hands wildly in denial. "That wasn't me, or rather it was but I could only do it because Dove taught me."

She smiled, "If she hadn't helped me then I would still be stuck at the bottom of the class," She said quickly prompting Julio to frown in confusion.

"But how did she teach you?" he asked letting confusion show, "I heard that you went from continually at the bottom of the class to the mid-range in almost week, if such an improvement is the sole credit of a single teacher, which I doubt since I know you would have to have played a large part, then they should be recognized as a teaching master."

He shook his head, "No, I think it was just you, finally showing your potential to the world."

Louise felt both pleased at the praise she was receiving, and oddly upset at how Dove seemed to be down played in his words.

She commented on it, "Dove is the reason I'm anywhere near as good as I am now. She is a master swordswoman, she is an incredible potions brewer, in fact she can create a potion that could heal a stab wound in under a second. She is the greatest mage in the academy."

She might have been boasting a bit but really not as much as you would think. Either way, if it convinced Julio then it wasn't boasting right?

Julio smiled and nodded. "If she is as good as you say," he stated somehow looking confused and while still smiling, "then why was she washing cloths and wearing a maid's uniform yesterday? She was wearing a proper school uniform today during class but when I arrived her dress didn't suit someone of the status or skill you're describing."

Louise smiled, "she's humble. She doesn't think that a title she hasn't earned is worth anything. She's also one of the best cooks in the academy but she's content to being the first cook's assistant."

"She sounds nice," Julio complemented, "are you two friends? You seem to know a lot about her."

Louise nodded, "She has been my friend for a while, in fact I'm starting to find it hard to imagine my life before Dove became my fam-friend." She mentally slapped herself for nearly calling Dove her familiar in front of this newcomer.

"So if you went somewhere she would follow?" Julio asked in a teasing voice.

Louise nodded, "yes, I think she would."

"Thank you Louise for something to think about," Julio said smiling, "but I think we need to get back to practicing."

Louise realized that she had stopped practicing some time ago, caught up in her words. "Oops," she admitted ruefully.

She settled back into her stance, ready for another attempt to hit the boy when he suddenly forsook the stance to look at Agnes.

Louise had followed his gaze and seen Dove talking to the musketeer captain.

"You know, I would like know a little more about her abilities," Julio said and left her trailing after him while he moved off to challenge Dove then and there to the dual.

-[]-

Reflecting back Louise felt like a fool for talking so much about Dove to Julio, he was a stranger and she had nearly called Dove her familiar. On top of it she was sure it was her words that had prompted him to fight her.

She felt like he had taken advantage of her somehow.

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 ** _"_** ** _AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"_**

Louise jerked up in her bed. Her dreams were blown out of the water by a scream and a flash of light from outside the window.

Louise jerked, part delirious, out of bed and raced towards the window, she needed to find out what happened, see if anyone was hurt. Throwing open the window, she stuck her head out into the open air and glanced around.

Outside the academy was dark, no one moved and the light was nowhere to be seen. Looking around, Louise could have almost sworn the light had been lightning, but the sound that had accompanied it was so similar to a scream for that delusion to persist.

The door to her room suddenly opened without a nock and Louise jumped a bit in surprise.

"Hi."

Louise turned around to face the door to her room. Dove was standing just the other side of the doorway.

"DOVE! WHAT HA-" she started.

"SHHH!" Dove hissed for her silence. "May I stay here for now," she added in a nearly inaudible voice.

Louise nodded, unsure why her familiar was up and about at this hour, she should have been in her own room. Unease settled in the young woman's gut as she tried guessing why she was there.

Dove came all the way into the room and settled down into one of her chairs, she wiped a hand across her forehead. Louise took a harder look at Dove and realized that the cook was sweating, as if she had just run a great distance.

"What's going on?" Louise asked in a much quieter voice this time.

Dove snorted, and the snort grew until it was a slightly maniacal cackle. "Apparently, our good Captain Agnes, drank something that didn't agree with her," she provided for the now nervous looking Louise.

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A little after Dove trounced Julio.

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Agnes followed Baroness Bosquet into a more privet area of the academy then where the girls were swarming the only young male for miles.

She had watched over her shoulder for a second as some of the smarter ones left. She noticed Louise was one of the only people to find something better then play group nurse for the boy before she resumed following Dove.

She had a great more respect for the Baroness after watching that fight. She could hold her own, and that spoke volumes in her book.

Dove finally lead her to the middle of the courtyard before turning around to face her and Michel.

"Thank you for agreeing to do this," Dove said looking at Agnes.

Agnes just shrugged, "It's my job."

Dove smiled, "quite." She reached for a pouch behind her and pulled out a notebook and quill. Transferring those to her other hand, Dove reached back again and brought out a large phial of blue potion.

"Is that where you keep your potion recipes?" Michel asked eyeing the Baroness's book.

Dove shook her head, "no, I have those memorized. I have this just in case I find that a potion has acted in a way I hadn't intended, I write the results down and compare with others to see if I can find what caused the person or animal to be effected that way verses the way I thought it would."

Agnes still had misgivings. "Are you sure this is safe?" she asked again.

Dove nodded and held the drink out to Agnes, "Yes, just drink this and wait ten minutes or so for first results."

Agnes steeled herself and grabbed the large phial, she uncorked it and took it all down in a single gulp. Her face turned into a grimace as the extremely sour taste almost burned her mouth and throat.

"Easy," Dove said since no one could miss that face.

"Are you alright Captain?" Michel asked looking her over for any signs of something off.

"It tastes foul," Agnes said handing the empty back to the Baroness.

"That would be the cyanide," Dove said off handily.

Michel and Agnes both tensed. "cyanide?" Michel asked, "you poisoned my Captain!?"

Dove shook her head, "NO! Seriously this entire kingdom needs to learn to take a joke, Louise acted like I had stabbed her when I was teasing her."

Agnes looked at Dove hard, looking for any signs of a lie.

"You shouldn't joke about things like that when you hand a strange potion over to a person," Agnes finally decided that Dove was in fact joking and just didn't have a sense of time or place.

"Then you shouldn't have threatened Professor Colbert," Dove said right back letting her vindictive side show, "he was just doing what he thought was right."

Michel scoffed, "he was being a coward. If the students don't learn to fight, then they would have ended up slaughtered by the Reconquista."

Dove glared, "I agree that they should be taught, but you're talking as if the girls fighting with the enemy is a forgone conclusion, which it isn't since they are being kept here instead. Anyway, leaving that for now, I think that it was very brave for him to stand up to you even if it was for a little bit. He didn't deserve to be humiliated like that."

Agnes sighed and paced a few steps away, she didn't look at either of her companions as she slowly clenched her fists. "I hate mages," she said.

"You made that clear," Dove said sarcastically, "but that doesn't excuse your actions to an innocent teacher, what if he had been a student? Would you have done the same?"

Agnes shook her head, "It doesn't matter. I hate mages and that is all I am going to say, leave it at that alright?"

Dove narrowed her eyes.

"Fine," she said before looking her up and down, "How are you feeling?"

Agnes frowned, "like I'm full, as if I had just eaten a large meal or something. What was that potion supposed to do?" Agnes, biased on how she physically felt, wondered if the potion was supposed to be some kind of field ration.

"Try feeling hot," Dove said writing in her notebook and ignoring Agnes's question, "Some mental stimulus helps the potion take greater effect."

Agnes looked at Dove in confusion, she had never heard of mental disposition effecting a potion or medicine before. She then shook her head and rather uncomfortably, tried to remember all the times she had felt warm.

Suddenly she felt the few old burns on her body twinge with phantom pains. "I don't think it changed anything," she said quickly hiding a shudder.

Dove frowned. "Odd," she said. 'Fire should be the easiest thing to use, unless you're a Dunmer, they can use Sparks just as easily as flames.'

"Try feeling tingly, a bit like when your arm falls asleep," Dove suggested.

Agnes frowned and focused on making her right arm feel like it had gone to sleep on her.

There was a loud POP!

Agnes jumped and looked around, the sound had come from somewhere closely.

Dove smiled, she had caught the brief flash of lightning between the Musketeer captain's fingers. 'good,' she thought, 'the stronger dosage is causing a quicker reaction. Does it also equal a more powerful mage to be as well? I think it's just a sooner awakening,' Dove thought writing her observations and thoughts down.

"What was that?" Agnes asked when her own examination of the surrounding area brought up nothing.

"What was what?" Dove asked with an innocent look.

"That popping noise," Agnes said before turning to her second, "Michel, did you see what it was?"

Michel could only shake her head; she hadn't seen anything that could account for the sound she had heard.

"Well," Dove said smiling, "I suspect that it will take a little bit of time before the potion takes full effect, give it some time. In fact, take the entire night and report to me tomorrow morning. Come get me if you start feeling anything out of the normal before then."

Agnes and Michel didn't like the smile on the baroness's face one bit but they couldn't see anything wrong and dropped the matter.

"Alright," Agnes said gruffly, "I will see you in the morning."

"Bye bye~" Dove said with a wave as she sauntered off.

The two musketeers looked at each other in confusion before taking their own leave.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Agnes was getting ready for bed. She had spent the rest of the day thinking on Baroness Bosquet's rather knowing smile.

Both her words and her smile didn't sit well with Agnes but she didn't think of anything wrong with the scenario when she looked back on her day.

Although, there was one thing that had her on edge.

She didn't know how, but there was some sort of noise following her.

Every now and then a loud pop would interrupt whatever she had been doing before and she would look around, trying to identify the source.

A few times the sound had been so loud that she had instantly gone on the defensive, her automatic reflex, tensing her muscles as they prepared to leap under cover to escape a second shot.

-[]-

flashback

-[]-

CRA-POW!

This time around Agnes could feel the tingling in her arm turn into something painful and caught the flash of light out of the corner of her eye.

With a yelp, Agnes leapt to the side and grabbed for her blade. She looked around for any sign of attacker, the shot could have come from anywhere.

She was behind cover around the bend in a corridor, peaking around the wall to get a look at her attacker.

There was no one there.

She checked her arm, there was no outward damage she could see and the pain was leaving.

-[]-

Flashback ends

-[]-

That problem had driven her mad for the rest of the day, pain, noise, and no one there.

Now, alone in her small room settled amongst the rest of her musketeers, she felt like she could relax a bit more.

She slid her armor off, now down to her under armor body suit that was treated to be fire resistant. She sighed as her now only cloth covered feet sank a bit into the thick carpet. She loved the feel of carpet under her toes.

Feeling a little giddy, she sat down on the bed leaned back and rubbed her feet back and forth to maximize the feelings from her feet.

CRASH-BOOM!

The sound of what she thought was a gun going off was disturbingly close. Agnes leapt off her bed in a panic, dropping flat to the ground.

Michel broke into the room, gripping her pistol and looking around the room for any sign of danger.

"What is it?" She called as Musketeers started filling the halls to investigate the sound.

Agnes looked up at her lieutenant. "I don't know," she said, "there has been a sound that has been following me where ever I go. The loudest of it you just heard."

Michel looked around the room. There was no indication of someone within the room itself and the window had no holes. She turned to examine the door, as she did so she took note of the musketeers gathering.

"Let us handle it," she didn't order them but her tone was expecting obedience.

The group, after a moments hesitation, started to disperse after her words.

Agnes got up and Michel looked at her.

"What is going on?" She asked her captain.

"I don't know," Agnes said, "but I get this feeling that Baroness Bosquet is behind this somehow."

"What makes you think that?" Michel asked, 'could her potion have done something? If so, what?'

Agnes growled, "I have no idea. It's just a feeling I have. If it is her then I'm go- "

CRASH-BOOM!

Agnes twisted around throwing her hands out as she snatched at the air. She then collected herself before groaning in anger and frustration, was she so high strung by the day that she was assaulting the air itself?

After a moment to collect herself, Agnes looked back at Michel.

Michel however was staring at her in open shock.

"What is it?" Agnes asked, trepidation pouring into her. Had her lieutenant seen something?

Michel just pointed at Agnes's arm in mute shock. Agnes looked at her arm, it was still tingling from the pain that always accompanied the sound. She couldn't find anything wrong with it.

Michel backed up. "I'll get the Baroness, wait here," She said before darting off.

Agnes sat there looking at her arm, trying to find what Michel had seen.

Clenching and opening her hand, she still couldn't find anything wrong with it.

Agnes closed her eyes and breathed deeply once, twice, then she opened her eyes. If there was something wrong with it then it was Bosquet's fault and she would make her fi-

She saw it this time, A tiny flash of light jumped between her finger tips accompanied by a tiny amount of tingling pain.

Agnes froze, 'what?' flashed though her mind before panic overwhelmed her.

 ** _"_** ** _AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"_**

As if responding to her, the sound was accompanied by the brightest flash of light she had seen.

Michel ran down the halls towards the servant's quarters where the Baroness could be found. She grinned madly as she suspected what potion Dove had used on her captain.

If her potion could give anyone magic, then its already large value just increased exponentially.

She hoped that Agnes would wait before she took revenge on the Baroness.

She couldn't wait to poses this potion. Once she got her hands on its recipe she would be set.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

"So now I'm running for my life," Dove finished reiterating how her actions that afternoon would affect her current relationship with Captain Agnes.

Louise just stared at her. She just couldn't make coherent words in the face of Dove's incredibly stupid actions. "I thought the potion was only able to give mages magicka," she eventually got out.

Dove looked at her strangely, "whatever gave you that idea?" she asked, "the potion gives people Magicka, I told you that already, and magicka doesn't care if you already have magic or not. You still can cast with a wand just like you could before you drank the potion. Magic and Magicka are two different things."

Louise put aside that topic for now as a more important one opened up in her mind. "So, what are you going to do now? You can't hide in my room forever" Louise asked Dove.

Dove got to her feet and smirked, her entire being extruding confidence to the point of arrogance.

"I'm going to hide at my cave like a sensible coward. Maybe she will mellow out soon."

Louise didn't expect that response. "You should talk to her. If that noise was her then she seems upset by what you did," she might have been a noble but even she knew an angry woman of any standing with a gun was a bad situation to ignore.

"No I won't. she deserved it after all," Dove said puerility crossing her arms.

Louise sighed, this was going to be an issue. But it was too late at night for her to argue with her familiar.

"I want a better explanation then that in the morning as to why you gave Agnes magicka Dove. Then you will go apologize," Louise said in a no nonsense kind of voice as she sat back down on her bed.

"Fine," Dove said with a huff before she settled onto the only chair in the room.

-[]-

The two girls drifted for a bit, almost back to sleep for Louise when a loud banging on the door reawakened them.

"Open up miss Valliere," the voice of Michel called from just outside, "I need to find Baroness Bosquet. Is she in there?"

Louise sat up with a groan. She was not happy at being awakened again in the same night.

Dove looked at Louise, worrying about what her response to the knocking would be.

Louise looked at her, it was her own fault for seeking refuge in her room this late at night she decided.

"Yes she is in here. Please take her and let me sleep," Louise called out. She glanced quickly at Dove. 'This will get out of my hair,' she thought as Michel came into the room.

'traitor,' Dove thought at the same time.

The blue haired musketeer turned to the baroness. "What was in the potion you gave my captain?" she asked briskly, "she has been letting out increasingly larger bolts of lightning all day."

"Oh, really?" Dove asked dryly, "I was thinking she would spit fire first. I guess you want me to come look her over, right?"

"You did say to come get you if anything happened before morning," Michel said with an equally dry tone.

"I guess I'll just have to follow you," Dove said tightly. She stood up and strode after the musketeer, shooting a glare behind her at Louise.

Louise rolled over and when back to sleep.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

The two walked in silence towards the wing where the musketeers were being housed. Both women walked side by side lost in their own thoughts.

Dove was mulling over her actions. She hadn't expected to be caught so soon, she had thought that Agnes would have started using magicka sometime tomorrow when she sat down and pondered Dove's nudging instructions.

Michel on the other hand was looking at Dove. She was the goose with the golden eggs, now all she needed to know was where her nest was.

-[]-

They arrived at Agnes door. Dove noted with concern that there was a faint smell of smoke in the air. 'could she had actually used fire instead of lightning?' she wondered before shaking her head and pushing open the door.

Sitting on the bed was Agnes, she had her head between her knees and was breathing heavily.

"What did your potion do?" demanded Agnes hollowly from where she was sitting.

The two women came into the room and Michel closed the door behind. The carpet had a large, twisting scorch mark decorating its once solid green surface.

Dove strode over the burn, her cool demeaned seemingly enough to keep her feet from burning from the residual heat. She stopped about a foot from the end of the bed where Agnes was against the wall.

"you just cast a little lightning, nothing to be concerned about," Dove said with a shrug.

Michel gasped behind her as Dove confirmed her suspicions.

"Magic?" Agnes said with the same hollow tone, "I used magic."

"You, gave, off, some, lightning," Dove said slowly as if she was explaining to a toddler, "Its a rather basic Magicka spell that casts lightning from your hands to both stun and hurt your enemies."

"How did I use magic?" Agnes said, her voice was picking up some life.

"Ah, an intelligent question," Dove really was enjoying being smarter and more knowledgeable than the other people in the room.

"Answer us," this time it was Michel who asked/demanded. There was a note of interest in her eye.

"To put it bluntly," Dove said raising an eyebrow, "I used a potion to give you a 'seed' of Magicka. That full feeling, you mentioned having is the Magicka reservoir growing in your body. Congratulations, you are a mage just like those you despise."

Agnes didn't faint like Dove had expected her to, instead she closed her eyes, breathed normally.

After a moment, Agnes opened her eyes again. "Why?" Agnes asked simply.

Dove frowned, "because I needed to test what my potion would do in a human that didn't naturally have this lands magic. Also, you were a complete ass to Professor Colbert for only personal reasons. You also remained suspiciously silent when I asked if you would have done the same thing to a kid."

Agnes frowned, 'revenge for exposing Colbert as a coward and because she wanted to?' She couldn't believe that Dove's reasons were so simplistically blunt.

Instead blowing up like she had before, Agnes pushed down the flare of anger she felt and instead asked another question. "How long will I have to live with this?"

She gestured down to the burned carpet, "I tried to get rid of all the magic in my body at once, it hurt a lot, but I feel like it has been returning to me over the time Michel spent hunting you down."

"It will last your entire life," Dove said simply, "Get used to that."

Agnes's jaw dropped at Baroness Bosquet's revelation. She couldn't believe the woman in front of her, the desire to kill her flashed through her in a heartbeat. Eyes narrowed and Agnes hands jumped at her target before she called them back.

Agnes looked at those hands, remembering the light that had jumped in-between her fingers. 'I should be reacting more than this,' she thought as her arms fell limply back at her sides. A halfhearted attempt at strangling the one who did this to her was a tame response to what she wanted to do to the Baroness.

After a moment she realized that her rational side had taken over, she was separating herself from what had happened and was thinking of the implications instead.

It was a form of denial to ignore what happened to herself but she would deal with that later.

"What would you do with this potion?" she asked, "something like this could change the kingdom, Brimir's saggy left testicle, it could change the world."

Dove shrugged, she was too tired to think of worldwide implications in a land she was only half familiar with, "I know. That's why I was keeping it to myself. Until a certain headmaster told the new queen who gave me 'help' in developing it."

She looked at Agnes sideways as a thought occurred to her, "Now I have someone to help back me up when I tell the queen that nothing came of it, that the 'booster' didn't work."

Agnes leapt up from her bed and started moving around it. "are you insane!?" she demanded, the pure logic of what this event meant overwhelming her. "It worked. I was just a commoner, no magical blood at all. With this we could field hundreds of new mages. This war would be over in weeks to months instead of years if we overwhelm the Reconquista."

Dove stood straight as a board directly in front of Agnes. "And which idiot would send 'hundreds' of incompetent rookies out to a battle field?" Dove snapped, Agnes fell silent at Dove's anger, "Would you send newly inducted musketeers into battle with nothing more than a pat on the head?"

Agnes shook her head, "I would give them training, they would be trained as fast as we could teach them. I would bring in other musketeers to help, and then I would send them on lesser duties first. We have time, precious little of it, but we could have moderately experienced mages ready for combat with your potion and the teachers here at the school in a few months, easily."

You can't teach something like this in only a few months," Dove stated, "They simply can't get used to using such power in such a short amount of time. People would use it incorrectly and for all sorts of wrong reasons."

Dove shuddered to think what could happen, what some might do with her potion. Everybody having magicka worked at home because _everybody_ having it brought its value down to almost nothing. Unless they found a way to get everyone to drink this potion then she didn't feel comfortable just handing out her potion.

Agnes shook her head again, "that would be up to the teacher to handle, we need more mages if we are going to beat the Reconquista quickly in this fight."

Dove internally roared with frustration as Agnes didn't seem to get what was blindingly obvious to her. "I don't have the time to train whomever you decide to turn into new mages!" she shouted, "I am going to be fighting in this war and that's going to take up most of my time!"

Agnes snorted in the face of danger, "I wasn't thinking about having just you as the teacher for these new mages, there is an entire academy of teachers who could do it. Many of those won't fight like Mr. Colbert might be willing."

"They can't teach the students how to use Magicka," Dove said flatly, "they only teach magic."

Michel frowned from behind the two women. "What's the difference between the two? The only difference I can see is that the word for magic you're using has a ka sound in the word," she asked.

Dove turned, slowly and somehow looked down on Michel from where she stood. Her presence somehow felt as if she had grown several feet.

Dove's eyes were Icey, her voice started out soft but grew more menacing, "The difference, between magic and magicka is that one is the innate ability born into those who were given a 'gift' from a racist, stupid, old Draaf, and the other is pure power that permeates the very air of where the nine divines come from!"

Dove looked back at Agnes and she backed away from the fire in her eyes.

Then Agnes realized that phrase was almost literal, her eyes were golden.

"Magicka is the ability to reorder the world the way you want it. It is the blessing of my father, Akatosh, it is the gift of Julianos! Magicka, is, strength, Magicka is power, Magicka is the right to remake the world as you please!"

Dove glared at the nervous Musketeer captain while the lieutenant soaked in every word she spoke. Dove sighed and let a lot of the tension leave her body with the breath. "Magic and Magicka are two different energies, there is little that can be compared between them if you think about it."

Agnes relaxed a little as the immediate danger seemed to pass. "I won't lie to my queen," she said returning to Dove's original topic and speaking with finality, "I am going to report what your potion does in its entirety."

Dove glared and hissed before turned away and started moving around the table. "Fine," she said as she moved to leave. Nothing after giving Agnes the potion had gone as she had thought it would.

Maybe there was a reason for that.

"I guess that I'm going to have to be there when you give your report to the Queen," Dove said with equal finality, "It's my potion after all, I'll have to be there when you tell her about it."

Agnes nodded, she was relieved that the Baroness had agreed despite the anger burning in her at what Dove had done to her.

"Oh, one more thing," Dove said over her shoulder as she breezed past Michel. Turning around as she reached just the other side of the doorway she finished her advice, "Don't get to into it while pleasuring yourself for the time being, you won't like the results."

Dove grinned to herself, feeling smugly satisfied at the confused and embarrassed start she had gotten out of the musketeer captain. She wondered how long she would follow the BS advice.

The Musketeers had gathered again and had arrived just in time to hear her words causing many to look at their captain in confusion.

As she left, Agnes thought about the two mysteries Dove had left her with. 'my father, Akatosh… eye's like fire.' She remembered Dove's slip and the strange color change that had accompanied it. 'Dovahkiin had said that Akatosh was the god of time, the sun and… Dragons.'

Agnes didn't know what to think. 'could Dove not be entirely human?' she felt that it might be a possibility, no human could change their eyes like that. 'is Dove part something else? If so, What?'

Agnes decided to keep an eye on the baroness for the time being.

"Captain," Michel asked, "the rest of the squad is here. What are your orders about the Baroness are we going to punish her for this?" She hoped not, it would get in her plans way if she was hurt or executed.

'But,' She thought, 'if they imprisoned her, that might be advantageous.'

Agnes shook her head, "No."

So much for that idea.

Agnes looked at all those gathered. "I want a guard on the Baroness." Agnes marched to her doorway and started issuing orders to all there.

"Make sure that whomever it is that they stay in the background or out of sight completely. The Baroness is keeping some secrets from us and I want to know what they are."

"YES CAPTAIN!" The group saluted.

* * *

 **So,**

 **attempting something new with the line breaks.**

 **Do you think that adding the flashback cue helped?**


	34. Chapter 34

**I'm sorry**

 **the writer you have tried to reach is not** **available**

 **please a message after the beep**

 **~BEEEEEEEEEP~**

 **Familiar** **of zero is owned by another**

 **Skyrim is owned by a company**

 **is it just me or is it getting harder to write these?**

* * *

 **RedBurningDragon: Maybe because it has both lightning and dragons.**

 **Cheese PuffXx: Which one?**

 **helkil: Would you really not punish someone for hiding in your room around midnight from the guards?**

 **OSDStitch: She has experience.**

 **Guest: Okay, the jumping back and forth didn't seem to work out in the last chapter. Thanks for telling me.**

 **TheENDstyler: Agnes is trying to take advantage of it, but she's underestimating how hard it is to learn Magicka.**

 **amimai002: I should look more into this Zelrech guy :} PS Dove did make a magical girl!**

 **Guy Passing by: I know that this could easily blow up in either the queen's face, or Dove's face. What if she claims to have divine permission? that should save her throne at least.**

 **Akshka: Done!**

 **the guest: I love that idea, it's in the running for how to get Dove pregnant.**

 **Guest000: Yup, I don't think Dove would hesitate to use Magicka in this war since she easily left Skyrim to defeat Miraak. Dove being discovered will probably be a little bloody.**

 **Touhou is Life: It was a joke, and Cyanide was the only thing Dove could think of to imply that she had poisoned Agnes for her joke.**

 **alexc123: Agreed.**

 **Guest: Thank you for the correction.**

 **perfectshade: Either way she put someone's life in danger just 'cause, that doesn't fly in most books. Julio is kind of slimy in my opinion, he rubs me in a wrong way (Like everyone in the last chapter) but I know he was smart enough to get something out of Louise during drills. The entire event with Agnes, from the moment she started popping to ordering the musketeers, was supposed to be critically important and I'm glad that it showed.**

 **Okay, It doesn't sound like the flashbacks worked as well as I would have liked.**

 **NacNak: No aborting! We are to close to stop now!**

 **GrimKid98: I agree about the train wreck part.**

 **Guest: Here it is.**

* * *

Solders, musketeers, men at arms, no matter what you called them. People in metal suits weren't all that sneaky.

Dove knew that fact from the one to many times a guard or bandit would say, "I think I heard something" while she was near. This time around, she was the one who caught on to the fact that she had shadows.

It was a little annoying for her to glance over her shoulder and see someone slip away and then try to follow her again after she returned to work. Baking in the kitchen was the only time she didn't see or hear the musketeers following her around and trying to be unnoticed while doing so.

The illusion of safety and freedom however was broken when a server had gone to get some more supplies from storage. Outside the room, watching the door with a pair of sharp but seemingly uninterested eyes was a dark green haired musketeer.

Dove snarled before catching her anger and bottling it down for now. She had already revealed too much in her fight with Agnes. 'How could I have been so stupid'. Dove thought while banging her head on the counter top once or twice before going back to work, ignoring the looks from the other servants.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

The day passed and the only difference was that the musketeer she occasionally caught sight watching her through the doors was changed to a girl with a brown, short ponytail.

Martone was seated at his table wiping sweat off his forehead. The dinner meal had been a delectable stir-fry that he had slaved away at for almost two hours. Very hot work, but he was pleased beyond anything else when he got the seasoning down right.

"Time to close down for now," he called to Dove as she packed up her freshly washed cooking utensils.

Dove looked at the window, it was facing towards the setting sun which was little more than a sliver on the horizon. "Agreed," she said before hopping onto the counter top.

Martone blinked and looked at her strangely.

Dove mudcrab walked to the window and with practiced ease, slid it open.

"Feel free to tell the guard at the door that I've slipped off to my secret laboratory," Dove said over her shoulder before hopping out the window. Brushing her thighs once or twice, she turned and closed the window behind her before striding off.

-[]-

Martone sat there looking out the window after his assistant before sighing and getting to his feet. Pushing open the door he found a musketeer wearing a white cloak, she was rather tall with blue hair.

"Excuse me miss," he said hoping that he wouldn't make her angry.

Michel looked at the head chef, "Yes?" she asked.

"I was told to let you know, that my assistant Dove has gone to her 'secret laboratory' by jumping out the window," Martone felt like whimpering under the musketeer's sudden hard glare.

"She just wanted you to know," he finished lamely.

Michel rushed past Martone and into the kitchen. It was empty.

Michel turned and raced past Martone again in search of Agnes.

-[]-

"SHE LEFT!?" Agnes was angry.

Michel nodded, "I think she when to wherever she created the potion she gave you."

Agnes paced around the courtyard she had been standing guard in when Michel had reported to her. "Do you have any idea in which direction she went?" Agnes asked.

Michel shook her head. "She went out a window," She explained, "and I lost her after that."

Agnes growled, it looked suspicious to her that Dove could apparently vanish from her musketeers in the kitchen, she would have to order them to keep a closer eye on her after this. Agnes then tempted fate.

'Damn it! What could possibly happen now to make this worse?'

A musketeer came jogging up with fate's warmest regards. The blond girl saluted before giving her message, "The queen is going to be coming here tomorrow to personally give orders to Zero and to check up on your progress with the baroness."

Agnes buried her head in her hands with a growl of anger. She then pulled herself together and looked at the other women around her. "Find the Baroness," she said in a voice that promised sloooooowww death, "I need her for the meeting tomorrow."

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Dove was working in her cave. Her current project was making an enchanting table. She had spent the days before the queen's coronation gathering a lot of the raw materials.

Now she had the pentagon shaped table part finished.

Reaching into the bag she snagged before leaving the academy, Dove pulled out a knife and started carving in the mystic shapes that had adorned all the other tables she had seen in Skyrim.

After a while, Dove was pleased with the lines and reached back into the bag. She pulled out a small brush and a bottle of blue liquid that was made out of what no one really wanted to know.

Spreading the foul concoction on her table, she started sketching in the sign of oblivion, destruction, restoration, alteration, and illusion into their respective sections.

Stepping back, she admired her work, the lines were ready, the marks were drying except for the center one that she hadn't drawn yet, and the space behind the table was ready for the candles and skull or orb she would need to get.

Glancing at the hole in the celling she noticed that it was starting to get light out. She had worked the night away and morning should be in an hour or so.

Walking into the second 'room', Dove laid down on her hand made bed. It was a little drafty, Dove decided as she pulled a deer skin over herself to build a proper wall between the two rooms sometime in the future. She pulled a dear skin almost to her head and turned over thinking about the steadily growing list of things she wanted to do.

-[]-

Dove woke up about four hours later. The sun was completely up, Dove stretched and looked around the room with foggy eyes.

'Oh, right,' she remembered, 'I slept in my cave to tick Agnes off.' She grinned as she thought about the grim faced new mage accidently shooting off little bursts of lightning in her anger while glaring at an unconcerned Dove.

'That would totally be how she reacts,' Dove thought to herself as she stood and stretched.

Deciding to burn even more time, Dove drew in the large enchanting symbol on her table and set it aside to dry.

Dove finally left her cave after setting her gear aside.

Dove was able to see the academy walls before too long. As she entered the largest courtyard she was presently: read smugly, pleased to see Agnes just like she had envisioned her to be: Standing at the doorway, tapping her fingers against the air and giving off tiny bolts of lightning every now and then.

"Good morning," Dove played extra cheerful, "How was your night? I enjoyed mine a lot, although I should build a proper wall in my lab to separate the work space from the living space."

Dove's light and cutesy dumb voice appeared to break something inside of Agnes and she seized the maid/baroness by her collar. Dragging the woman in close. Dove's head gave little twitches as the lightning coming off the other woman shocked her nerves.

Agnes grated out, "You. Will. Not. Ever. Leave. My. Sight. Again. Do. You. Understand?"

Dove smiled and tilted her head innocently, "Yup, you are going to try and stay close to me and I'm going to vanish from between your fingers from now on."

Agnes lost it.

She suddenly pulled Dove into her own chest while jerking her knee up and into Dove belly, just below her diaphragm and driving all of the air from her.

Dove froze in a half crouch and choked as she tried to refill her lungs. Agnes grabbed her burden by the neckerchief again and pulled the gasping woman face to face again.

"I don't like you, Dove," she said coldly, "in fact I might go as far as saying that I hate you for what you did to me. However, it's my job to help you for the time being, this includes adding some rules until I'm reassigned."

Dove just gasped for breath as Agnes laid down the law.

"I won't have you disappearing on me ever again," Agnes said in a dangerous voice, "I'm placing a continues guard on you for the time. If you ever ditch them again I will place you under house arrest to keep an eye on you. Understood?"

Dove regretted ticking Agnes off, she jerked her head up and down. She didn't completely submit, and would undoubtedly test those boundaries but knew it was stupid to argue now.

Agnes loosened her grip at Dove apparent caving in.

"Now," Agnes stated, "I'm standing guard here because the princess came here in secret and requested to meet with first Zero to discuss her tasks and then you to discuss your progress with the potion. Zero's partner asked for you to be there as well for the first part but no one could find you."

Dove finally had enough breath to wheeze, "Louise has a partner? That's nice, I hope he or she can handle her."

Agnes growled again, Dove didn't seem to mind the fact that she was making the QUEEN OF TRISTAIN wait and the thing that got her attention was the pink mages new partner?

Feeling like it wasn't worth it, Agnes seized Dove by the arm and started dragging/leading Dove up to the meeting. For some reason this amused the maid as she allowed her to be pulled behind the captain towards the room where the Queen was waiting.

Dove enjoyed the free guide to the room and then straightened up, pulling her arm out of Agnes's grip just outside the headmaster's door. Agnes glared at Dove's unconcerned expression before knocking on the door to announce their presence.

"Come in," a voice Dove recognized as Henrietta's came from inside the room. Pushing her way in, Agnes moved quickly and then took up a spot next to the doorway for Dove to come in.

Dove walking into the room right behind Agnes and took everything in. Apart from Agnes, the room contained Louise, Michel, the queen Henrietta, and surprisingly Julio. The headmaster was nowhere to be seen but his things were spread around as he liked them, giving the impression that he had just stepped out.

Dove smirked at the only thing out of place, "do you always travel with the exact same black hooded cloak?" she asked Henrietta.

The Queen glanced at her favorite cloak, "maybe a bit too often if you recognize it," she admitted.

Dove smiled in a teasing manor. "So," Dove said clapping her hands together, "why am I here? I heard that Louise was getting a partner." She glanced at Julio, "I assume that is you Mr. priest-who-flirts."

Julio smiled, not letting the name bother him. "Yes, I will get to work rather close to miss Louise in this endeavor." He looked at her with enticing, half closed eyes and a soft smile, "I would also like to extend an offer for you to join the two of us."

Dove tilted her head, "Huh?" She felt like she missed something.

Henrietta spoke up, "What Flamen Julio is asking is for you to be part of Louise's group, making it a group of three instead of just the two I was originally planning." The Queen looked at Julio but still spoke to Dove, "I was however, telling him that I have you working on an important project and couldn't be pulled away from that just before you came in."

Dove raised an eyebrow at the Queen before glancing at Julio. "I see," she said looking at the Priest's hand, not making any more to take it.

Julio sighed as he lost the mage, he really wanted to know more about her creating-weapon-from-air spell. Maybe he could talk to her in passing or after she finished work.

"Is there anything else, Flamen Julio?" Agnes asked since that should conclude his business.

"No," he said sadly, "I hope to get along with you two, Agnes, Louise." He swept a short bow to Louise that just so happened to end with him holding her hand. Louise blushed red and he smiled at her as he stood. "I hope to see all of you around, Dove," Julio said as he started leaving.

"Bye flirt," Dove said with a wave.

Julio however, didn't get to the door before the Queen call out to him.

"Flamen Julio, I think you might want to stay for this. In the spirit of cooperation with the church, I would like you to share in this project."

Dove never considered Regicide until this moment. Technically, Ulfric wasn't a king at the time so that didn't count in her opinion.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Dove asked looking at Henrietta worriedly, "There are some aspects of this _project,_ that might offend someone in your church."

Julio blinked, "'your church?' Don't you also believe in the church of the founder?"

Dove looked at him, "no I don't, why is that so shocking to people?"

Louise intervened, "the church of the founder is the only church in the country of Halkeginia. Only the elves, and you of course, don't believe in the founder."

"Huh," Dove said for the second time in this encounter. Back home there had been at least a little diversity in gods, even if it was just in the way different people had named the same gods.

"So you don't believe in the founder?" Julio returned to his question.

Dove shrugged ignoring the question, "I was just thinking that my potion was created by my people and that our explanation of how it works relates to our gods, the Nine Divine."

"I see," Julio said thoughtfully impassive, "This potion, what does it do?"

Henrietta explained what she thought it did, "we are calling it a booster. The mage who drinks it receives an increase in their magical energy. For example, a point mages are able to perform triangle level spells with one drink."

Julio looked at her hard, "that sounds incredible. How does it do that?"

Henrietta looked to Dove to answer.

Dove looked to Agnes.

Agnes cleared her throat, "The potion isn't fully understood." She hoped this priest didn't push her too hard for an answer, "What we do know is that it basically contains something akin to a 'seed' of magic that the person can tap into."

"Is it temporary or permanent?" Julio asked her.

Dove took up the line of questioning, "Permanent. The drinker will forever have MagicKA in their system. The MagicKA, seed can grow and allow the drinker even more power but that's only something that can be reached with training."

Julio frowned at Dove's strange pronunciation. "Why are you adding a KA sound to the word magic?" he asked.

"Because I'm not talking about magic at all, I'm talking about Magicka," Dove said as if that explained everything.

"I didn't know there was another word for magic," Julio said.

Dove REALLY wanted to go into her rant about the difference between the so called hereditary 'god' gift and true power of the gods. She let it pass since there was no point arguing with Julio, it was only lead to trouble. Instead, she passed it off with a shrug.

Agnes and Louise had the sense to leave him in the dark as well.

"There is more," Agnes said. She bit the inside of her lip when everyone looked at her. She silently cursed how hard it was to say something possibly heretical in the presence of the church's representation, Flamen Julio, but she had promised herself that she would tell her Queen about this one aspect of the drink.

"The potion places a seed," she repeated, "it doesn't require the drinker to have already had a supply of magic. The person could be a commoner and still be granted equal power as a mage."

Henrietta froze, Julio's eye's widened. "What does that mean exactly?" Henrietta asked to ensure that meant what she thought it meant.

"It means I can create mages, make none magical people magical," Dove said secretly enjoying how her blunt, uncaring tone seemed to be giving the Queen and priest a heart attack, "Question: does that make me a goddess to your church? Since I can do what only your god was reputed to have done?"

"The church doesn't recognize goddesses," Julio said by route, still in shock.

"Oh, Darn," Dove said snapping her fingers in mock frustration.

"This is theoretical, right?" Julio asked Dove as sense started to return to him. Henrietta started to breath properly again as he tried to diminish what this could mean. "I mean; you _think_ you could give a commoner magic with this potion?" Julio clarified

Dove _Stared_ at Agnes. The others in the room followed her gaze and looked at her, two of them were confused at the constant back and forth between the baroness and captain.

Agnes clenched her hand and sucked in a deep breath before lifting her hand.

The lightning dancing between her fingers drew everyone's attention immediately.

"You don't have a wand," was the first thing Henrietta could say as the light flickered up Agnes knuckles and terminated about an inch off the tips.

"You don't need it if you drink my potion," Dove said moving up to the hypothetical plate. "I have some conditions for the continued use of my potion, are you ready to hear them or do you need a moment?"

Julio's shock turned to slight anger and he frowned, the woman sounded like a merchant selling her knickknacks, not the most incredible gift to humankind.

Henrietta nodded, "what do you want for this potion?"

Dove smiled, "Final say in who gets it."

Once again the Queen was stunned, she had thought it would ask for something much more than that. At the same time, this would limit whomever got the gift to only those Dove approves of.

"I think, that might be reasonable," Henrietta said slowly, "with some conditions."

Julio was silent, his thoughts were kept to himself.

Dove smiled, "great."

"Would it be possible for us to see this potion?" Julio asked intently, breaking his silence.

"I don't have any made up right now, I'm keeping every batch very close to my person and only making one or two batches so that others can't take it from me," Dove informed him.

"I would like to receive a serving to send to the pope," Julio said.

"Well then, I guess I'm going to see the pope since it's not leaving my sight," Dove was not going to bend on this one. It was bad enough that the existence of her potion was as well-known as it was now, there was no way she was going to let some stranger get a hold of it.

"I don't think that would be necessary," Julio soothed calmly, "I just wish to show our greatest link to the founder that our lord's creation is being put to an incredible new use."

Dove stared at him for a second before bursting out into laughter. "Hahahaha, HA AHAHAHA!" The others didn't get the joke, 'brimir's gift?' Dove thought, 'comparing the two is like apple and boysenberries. They're nothing alike.'

Julio looked confused at her reaction. "Hehehe. There is no way I'm letting anyone else handle my potion," Dove said as she got her breath back.

"Then I would like to see someone receive this potion, so that I may tell of it to the pope," Julio asked in a voice that could pass for a commandment.

"I guess that wouldn't be unreasonable," Dove said thoughtfully, 'need to replenish supplies for it anyway'.

"How long until you have more?" Henrietta asked.

"If I can slip my new leash," Dove said causing Agnes to growl, "about forty-five minutes."

Louise spoke up for the first time, "New leash?" No one should have a leash on her familiar.

"Agnes here," Dove said gesturing at her, "doesn't appreciate my humor and new refuses to let me leave her sight, afraid that I'll disappear again like I did last night."

"Your vanishing is what caused us to be late to this meeting," Agnes growled.

"Oh relax," Dove said, "I vanished because I don't take well to a military force trying to be silent as it follows me around like a lost talking dog while it spies on me. If your attitude was better than I wouldn't sneak off."

"Enough fighting," Henrietta said distracting the two, although she had no idea where the talking dog fit in, "Dove, you will take Agnes with you to get more of the potion for a demonstration."

"But it's in my secret lab~" Dove whined like child, "secret means no one else is supposed to know."

Henrietta sighed, irritated with Dove's sudden childish attitude and Agnes almost equally childish fighting. If she had seen their confrontation just outside the academy, then she wouldn't be calling either of them childish.

She could see the tension between the two. She didn't need to think too hard as to why Agnes was angry at Dove considering her past, but she couldn't figure out why Dove didn't like Agnes.

They both were physical women, fighters and both could be considered friends of hers in some ways. Maybe they were too similar and that pushed them apart.

Regardless, they needed to suck it up and work together for now.

"I know where her 'lab' is," Louise said authoritatively in the silence after her Queen's long breath, "I could go with Dove since it won't be sharing her secret with others," this appeased Dove, "and I could make sure that she comes back in a timely fashion as well." This appeased Agnes.

Henrietta didn't need a long time to consider, "go, please hurry back."

Dove and Louise nodded and left the assembly.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

As soon as the two girls left the academy grounds, Louise turned on Dove.

"WHAT WAS THAT? YOU NOT ONLY CAME LATE BUT YOU ONLY SEEMED TO BE THERE JUST TO ANGER AGNES," she shouted at Dove.

Dove looked at the trees, not at Louise. "I didn't like her attitude, or the fact that she placed guards on me to watch wherever I go," she said self-righteously.

"And that gave you the right to throw her life completely out of form," Louise said, a small part of her was surprised at the fact that she was rebuking Dove of all people.

Dove blushed, still not looking at Louise.

"If that wasn't enough," Louise continued, "you deliberately stayed in your cave making her late to a meeting with the Queen. Agnes doesn't like being late for anything."

"I didn't know that the Queen was going to come here," Dove defended.

"Instead you were probably just planning on ticking her off my being missing the entire day," Louise pressed, "either way the result would have been an angry Agnes just like you wanted."

Dove didn't have anything to say and so remained silent. Pausing in her stride, she plucked a red flower and held it in her hands.

"I expect you to apologize to her when you get back," Louise said firmly taking the lead on the path to Dove's cave.

"I will not," Dove said indignantly behind her, moving to catch up.

"You will, what you did was cruel and she deserves your apology," Louise said still in the lead.

Dove remained silent and glowered at the flower she had picked for the rest of the way to her cave.

-[]-

When they arrived Dove started working at her little potion set.

Louise sat down on an extra seat to watch.

Dove cut the flower she had gathered into different parts and set them to boil in a little glass beaker over a candle flame.

As that started extracting the juices from the plant, Dove moved to her cabinet and pulled out a couple of berries.

Returning to her table she crunched those in a bowl. As she crushed, the purple plant mush started to sparkle.

"Why does it do that?" Louise asked, she was still angry with Dove but she was also curious about the potion. She was fascinated by looking at the little sparkles that were now escaping the bowl and floating in the air.

"The plants are actually rather normal," Dove said, "while I work them I add Magicka to the potion and the end results gain the mystic properties the potions are known for. Each different way I prepare the plant or ingredient causes it to react in a different way to when I add my Magicka."

The pulp was ready and the flower was not too far behind. Dove sat and waited for another five minutes as the water drew out the juices before grabbing a small bottle and pouring the hot mix though a rough strainer. The reddish flower juice went through the strainer and collected in the bottle. Dove dropped the shiny berry pulp directly into the mix and shook.

She felt the potion draw on her Magicka supply almost immediately as the colors in the bottle swirled and turned an almost unnaturally bright blue shade.

"So you need Magicka to make the potion?" Louise asked interested.

"Yes," Dove answered, "I think that's why no one has ever figured out how to make this potion before I came along. They could mix these exact same ingredients for your entire life, but unless the creator has magicka to add to the potion, it would just be colored water."

Separating the potion into two different bottles, one of which Dove labeled and put in her cabinet and the other remained clasped in her hand, the two girls left the cave.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

They quickly arrived back at the academy and made their way to the headmaster's office.

Dove immediately moved in and handed the vial to the Queen.

"One portion of potion as asked for," she said with a smile having recovered her good mood on the outside on the trip back.

Henrietta took the bottle and held it up to the light to get a good look at it.

While she and Julio was giving the small potion their entire attention, Louise glared at Dove.

Dove scrunched up her face as if she was eating a lemon. Huffing, she walked over the Agnes.

"Agnes," she started when she was face to face with the captain, "I'm sorry for tricking you into drinking that potion and I'm sorry for making you late to this meeting."

Agnes blinked, surprised at Dove. She then saw Louise looking happy over Dove's shoulder. "Did Louise put you up to this?" she asked, her surprise was now torn between Dove actually saying it and Louise making her say it. Nobles simply didn't apologize to commoners, even if they were knights.

"She said I should and pointed out how badly I've been treating you," Dove said before briskly adding, "even if I don't like your attitude with Professor Colbert or you placing a guard on me, what I did was out of line and petty, and I'm sorry for it and hurting you with my potion."

Agnes let the silence between them stretch for a moment or two before nodding. "I accept your apology," she said evenly, this didn't fix what she did but the Baroness genuinely seemed to regret things going this far.

Dove nodded, "thank you." Internally she knew that what she did was in the wrong but it had taken Louise giving her the push to say it. She was grateful to her for that despite how much it hurt for her to admit it.

* * *

 **Almost done beating this dead horse of a potion.**

 **by the way, I'm starting another story**

 **This one will still be the more important one for now and will continue as normally as I can make it**

 **but I might be a bit slower on the update.**


	35. Chapter 35

**You remind me the writer**

 **what writer?**

 **Ther writer with the power,**

 **What power**

 **Power vudo**

 **Vudo?**

 **you do**

 **Do whay?**

 **Remind of the writer~**

 **who doesn't own Skyrim or Familiar of zero**

 **(Awesome people know this altered quote)**

* * *

 **xanothos: Thank you, yes her name is the same as a bird.**

 **Touhou is Life: Then tell me: who is 'robin'?**

 **Guest000: I won't run out** **DATTEBAYO! The potion is hers and she can see how this would change their world so she's keeping a death grip on where it goes. Maybe she needs to kill anyone who 'roughs' her up enough to see her ears.**

 **helkil: It's not that Dove allows them to strong arm her, its that on occasion she doesn't care or she's being sneaky instead. to be fair, getting you breath knocked out by a sucker knee is a horrible way to get taken out, then again, being unable to fight back to hide her ears has got to be worse.**

 **RedBurningDragon: Well... I have a perverted magic sword, and I did make a magical girl, This does sound like what I know about Zelrech. I was thinking that she could use the soul tear shout to trap the soul in the body bypassing the need of gems altogether ;P**

 **Arnoldstrife: If it's so interesting o you, then could you pass along any ideas you have for those social/economical/religious impact ideas to me? I would love to hear them.**

 **Akshka: Here's more.**

 **amimai002: I want to stab him as well. But the resulting inquiry would be too much of a pain.**

 **evevee: She want's to distance herself from 'smashing arrogant' actions for fear of her dragon side and unfortunately that has caused her to be a bit meek. That will change but is stuck with her for a bit.**

 **Guest: I know she get pushed around a bit, but she does have the reasons mentioned above.**

 **Properdecay: OH GOSH! could you imagine what that would do to her? Magic in royals is much stronger then other mages but adding Magicka?**

 **XSDStitch: NOOO Not a MLP reference!**

 **Guest: Here it is.**

 **NacNak: Thanks, lots of people are saying that she's too meek. She might be but there is a reason for any actions that could be considered 'meek'.**

 **Sal: there might be some.**

* * *

 **By the way there might be something that can be considered a LIME in this chapter.**

* * *

"No, pick someone else," Dove said while crossing her arms. Having an argument with the Queen of the country you currently live in, that might not be the best move for her politically but there was no compromising with her on this topic.

"Why not Guiche Gramont? He is the son of General Gramont and already has a place on the front lines so he can implement the potion in actual combat," Henrietta argued.

Dove deadpanned at the queen, "have you ever met Guiche?"

Henrietta nodded, "I saw him at balls and welcomed him to many of them." That counted didn't it.

"So you never met him outside of an official capacity, you don't know what he's like outside of court functions," Dove summed up, "there's no way I'm letting my potion go to a flirt like him."

"Besides," she added, "I thought you wanted to have someone you can watch drink the potion."

Henrietta sighed, this was rather difficult. All the contenders for Dove's potion that she could think of were already on the battle field. Frustration was starting to overcome her since they had spent over half an hour discussing who could take the Baroness's potion.

The rest of the people in the room just sat there watching the two women go at it as if they were watching competitive sports. Louise was a bit worried as the two went back and forth over who was worthy. Henrietta kept suggesting different noble families while Dove kept shooting them down.

Michel was on the verge of suggesting herself, she really wanted to see and maybe feel what the potion did to someone. She had seen Agnes after she drank it but now she wanted to watch it from start to finish.

Julio was calm on the outside. Internally he was already compiling everything he knew about the strange Baroness. Her behavior was so Atypical of the Tristainian nobles he had met, in fact she was odd for any kind of noble from any of the various kingdoms.

Julio tried to compare her to the existing nobles he had met, but nothing 'fit' perfectly. She was most like Germalians right now as she bargained with the Queen, but up till then she had acted like a Albionian or a Tristian, loyal but dignified.

Her behavior and intentions were a confusing mess that he would need to get to the bottom of before he reported back.

Agnes… had had enough. She stepped forwards with a solution. "I have in my company a musketeer that would work for this test," She said not beating around the bush.

She instantly got the attention of everyone else in the room. Michel looked at her captain. 'Who are you thinking of Agnes?' she wondered since she was sure it wasn't her or Agnes would have outright said.

Henrietta asked Michel's question. "Who?"

"In my company there is a woman who has once before drank one Dove's potions. It set and almost completely healed the bone in her leg when she landed on it from being thrown by her horse," Agnes tried to avoid mentioning why the horse had thrown her. "I think she would be willing to drink this potion as well," Agnes finished off.

Henrietta asked the one question Agnes didn't want to answer instead of remaining on topic, "How did she get thrown from her horse? All of your subordinates are good horse women. Is she alright now?" She worried about those under her command. After the Wales event, she felt the need to be better than before and she did that by asking after her people.

Agnes sighed, she was sure that the Queen would feel guilty about this. "She was thrown by her horse when the resurrected Prince Wales threw a spell over his shoulder at us and the group was nocked down."

As expected, Agnes saw the light dim in Henrietta's eyes.

"I see," the Queen spoke without meeting her guard's eyes, she couldn't ever be sorry enough in her opinion. "I'm sorry," she said.

Agnes just looked on impassively. "Anyway," she moved on, "I think that Musketeer Lela would be a fine tester for this potion. Because of her injury she is here at the academy and I know she has no magic to begin with so she can demonstrate exactly how effective the potion can be on commoners."

"I suggest that she drink the potion and then receive training from the staff here at the academy and from Baroness Bosquet, she can be used as a test to see just how quickly we can generate mages for this war," Agnes wrapped up her suggesting.

Julio raised an eyebrow in contemplation, he respected how the captain was working towards victory in this war, but to just create mages out of commoners was something completely unprecedented. Dare he say, it was heretical?

'Wait and see,' he decided as his actions, after all, this potion might not work on all people who drank it. Maybe those who receive magical powers already had a noble background somewhere.

Henrietta considered for a moment. However, it was Dove who answered.

"I think that would be a great idea," she said, internally she was glad it wasn't someone who was already a mage receiving her potion, they would handle the power better if they appreciated the value of what her potion was giving them was.

Henrietta looked sideways at Dove. Giving magic to another commoner wasn't what she wanted, but she was tired of arguing with the stubborn woman so she let it go. "Please bring Musketeer Lela here," she ordered Michel.

The blue haired musketeer nodded before taking her leave.

"So," Dove started addressing Henrietta, "how are you feeling? I couldn't help but pick up on something when Agnes here mentioned Musketeer Lela."

Louise looked at Dove confusedly, she had been there so she had to know how Henrietta was feeling. After a moment her confusion lifted and she mentally smacked herself for forgetting. Dove had gone as Dovahkiin; she was separating herself from her dragon persona.

Agnes and Henrietta couldn't meet each other's eyes. Then Henrietta spoke, "I was foolish. I tried to leave my responsibilities behind and run off with an illusion of the one I love." Her voice was calm and steady.

Privately Dove felt her respect for Henrietta grow as she kept her face neutral. Not many people could be that calm after losing someone they love, even fewer could own up to such a large mistake to anyone let alone someone as abrasive as she was being.

"Both Agnes and Louise, along with the musketeer force and Louise's familiar worked together to stop me," Henrietta said, "I'm grateful to them, they saved me and put my love to rest, but I said and did things during the fight that will haunt me for the rest of my life."

"Wow," Dove said, "you must have screwed up big time." She might have respected Henrietta's honesty, but she decided to be deliberately blunt as her way of reprimanding the young Queen.

"Yes, I was," Henrietta admitted just as bluntly. It hurt to say it but it was true and she was picking up on the fact that Dove treated honest people better when she addressed them.

Dove blinked as she hadn't been expecting Henrietta's response to be like that. She then grinned happily as the queen's words satisfied her, "well, I hope you learn from this, that's the key to situations like this. Find the lesson to learn from this and make sure it sticks."

Henrietta nodded as Dove seemed to drop the subject for now.

It didn't take too much longer for Michel and Musketeer Lela to arrive at the headmaster's office. Dove quietly recognized the brunette as the one who had been screaming her heart out because of a broken leg. She had silenced herself soon afterwards and hadn't gone into shock, she most likely had a strong personality to be as silent as she had been.

Lela limped forward to stand in front of her Queen, obviously her leg wasn't completely healed. "Your highness," she said neutrally to which Henrietta nodded back before the musketeer turned to Agnes. "Captain," her voice was a lot warmer for Agnes.

Then surprisingly she turned to Dove and saluted again, "Baroness Bosquet, thank you for creating that potion, it saved me from a lot of pain."

"You're welcome," Dove said then added, "It has saved me a lot of pain in my past adventures as well."

"Now then," Henrietta called their attention, "You are here because you have already taken one of Baroness's potions in the past. We would like you to drink another so that we can confirm its effects on the human body. Are you willing to try it?"

Lela looked a little wary, "What are the intended effects of this potion? Will it hurt me."

"It will make you feel really full," Agnes said surprising Lela since it was her answering, "however, it will cause a permanently change in you. The potion is supposed to turn you into a mage, granting you magicka."

Lela blinked, "what?" she wasn't sure if what she had heard correctly.

"I have a potion that will give you the ability to use Magicka," Dove summed up, "Mister. Flirt-priest here," she gestured to Julio, "wants a demonstration to write home to the pope about, while Agnes wants me to train the person who drinks this potion to see how long it would take to teach a person to the point of combat readiness in magicka."

She turns to look around, ignoring Lela for a moment, "Did I miss anything?"

"No," Agnes said before addressing Lela, "this is an important test Lela, if you can take this potion and learn how to use magicka in combat then we will have an estimate on how long it would take to teach more mages and help us end this war sooner."

Lela frowned, "Your orders are for me to test one of the Baroness's potions to see how long it takes me to learn magic?"

Dove shook her head and interjected a point, "no one is going to order you to do anything, they just want to show what we can do to the priest so that he can report to the pope while at the same time figure out how long it would take a person to adapt to the new magicka in their system."

Lela closed her eyes considering.

"Are there any side effects?" She asked looking at Dove, "I really don't want to find out too late that I'll grow a third arm or something like that. Although it might help my aim."

Dove laughed out loud at her boldness and shook her head, she could tell that she was going to like Lela. "None that we are aware of," Dove said leaving a little room for error.

Lela took a deep breath to steel herself before nodding, "I'll take it."

Henrietta stood from behind the headmaster's desk and held out Dove's potion. "Then please," she said, "let's do this test."

Lela straightened her shoulders and limped the few feet to receive the potion from her.

Julio moved up closer to insure a good view while the rest, save Agnes and Dove seemed torn between crowding around and staying safely back.

Lela seemed to become a bit nervous at the lack of support by the others. She steeled herself again, "Well, here goes nothing," she said and squeezed her eyes shut while taking the potion like a shot of alcohol.

The potion was surprisingly good, it tasted like some kind of bitter fruit instead of a potion or any other medicine she had taken before.

The group stood around, waiting for something to happen, so burst of light maybe or that third arm she wanted.

Instead they just grew awkward standing there doing nothing while she kept her eyes closed.

After a moment she relaxed her face and cautiously opened one eye. "Is that it?" she asked looking around, she quickly checked out her body and found nothing different than before.

"Well what were you expecting to happen?" Dove asked raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know," Lela admitted, "maybe a bit of power or something new added to my very being. Something a little more dramatic than that."

Dove snorted. "Sounds like you've heard too many old wives' tales," she grinned, "anyway, how do you feel? Full?"

"Yes? It isn't that long past lunch so I'm not hungry," Lela said not getting why Baroness Bosquet would bring it up.

"Magicka makes you feel like you're full when you have a full charge of the stuff," Agnes said.

Lela looked at her captain in surprise, "really? How do you know?"

Agnes growled, "Dove tested the potion on me a little while ago. It took a little bit of getting used to before I could differentiate between full of food and full of magicka."

Lela looked at Agnes in surprise, she knew about her captains hatred for mages, so the fact that Baroness Bosquet was still alive was a rather large shock.

"So," Dove drew the groups attention to herself as she addressed Julio, "What do you want me to teach her for this demonstration, Mr. Flirt? Keep in mind that full growth and control over her new powers will take a little while."

Julio took his new nickname in stride and thought about her question. "I would like to see her use one of the elements, even if it would take a long time to teach her any spells, I would need to know that she can at least use the elements for my report to the pope."

Dove nodded and Lela couldn't help but let an exited smile grace her face.

"Imagine fire," Dove said, "imagine that it is in your core, about where the feeling of fullness is."

Lela nodded and tried to associate the feeling with fire.

"Now imagine that feeling of fire is now traveling up your torso to your shoulder, through your arm, and out your palm," Dove said smirking.

Lela didn't notice the Baroness's expression and lifted her hand to do so.

"YIKE!" she suddenly cried as a tiny burst of fire leapt from her hands only to die about less than an inch or three beyond her flesh.

"That hurt!" she accused Dove looking at her with anger.

Dove nodded, "Yup. Like flexing a muscle, you need to build up through repetition, work through the pain before the feeling becomes natural and you can cast without feeling like you just burnt your hand."

Lela looked at her in consternation before sighing, she knew that nothing came without sacrifice and pain so she should have been expecting something like that.

Agnes on the other hand frowned, "How come I didn't feel any pain when you first taught me a spell?" It wasn't right that she shouldn't suffer when her subordinates should. It could lead to resentment if some people got hurt and others didn't.

Dove waved her off. "You learned a spell that didn't cause pain the first time you use it but it requires a lot of magicka to use." She explained, "I was surprised, only a certain kind of Mer back home is naturally attuned to lighting spells yet you managed to use it right off."

Agnes stiffened and frowned at being compared to an elf.

Julio raised an eyebrow at the mentioning of attunement, before he noticed Agnes's reaction to Dove's words.

"What are Mer?" he asked confusedly and then moved to explain when Dove looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "I ask because the good captain looks rather angry at being compared to such a thing, whatever it is."

"Mer are just another kind of people," Dove said smiling and decided to leave somethings out, "a very kind group who just live their lives like everybody else. Some are polite, some aren't, and some are just neutral."

Julio could see the tension between the Baroness and the others in the room grow at her words. "I, see," he said slowly with an uneasy smile, "they sound like… a nice community."

Dove smiled, "they are for the most part. So, do you have enough for your report?"

Julio returned the smile. "Yes, I think I do," he said keeping his thoughts to himself.

"Good, while you're doing that, I'm going to be taking my newest student here out to the yard for practice, she still needs to get through the pain."

Before anyone could protest, Lela was seized by the arm as Dove started marching out the room. Lela looked back wide eyed as she hobbled in her once as Dove started cackling over how she was going to train her.

Dove smirked as she imagined the coming training schedule. Her other students had been introduced to magicka slowly, but! Agnes wanted fast so fast she got.

Buckets, Tingling, burning, freezing. It was all going to happen at once. Maybe she would even teach her to conjure a sword like she had at the first drill session on top of it all, just to push her.

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The group broke up after that, each going their separate ways. Louise and Julio went back to classes and drills. The Queen left for the palace. Agnes and Michel went back to overseeing the rotation of the drills.

As the day progressed there were small cries and screams accompanied by the occasional explosion from the next courtyard over from the main group that at first drew the attention of the musketeers and students, but was soon ignored.

The students were told to ignore it by the musketeers and teachers but that was hard for many and they only grew warier as the day progressed.

A soft word to the musketeers and a harsh command to the students from Agnes returned everyone to the task at hand was thankfully all that was needed during drills.

-[]-

Lela wouldn't make it back to the rooms with the other musketeers until almost midnight.

By that time, the entire musketeer force had heard the soft word; Lela was now a mage. They had been told that information and then told to wait until tonight for further explanations despite their curiosity.

Like good solders they had waited, but now the time for answers was at hand.

They all gathered around in a large lounge that lay just in front of their individual bed rooms. The tower where they had taken up residence was built with a short corridor that was lined with doors to rooms on each level.

There was a large fireplace and three couches in a half circle around a table in front of the fire in the lounge. Most of the girls didn't sit on the couches and instead stood just behind them as Agnes stood in front of the fire to expound on what they had been told earlier.

"You remember yesterday when I ordered guards to watch the Baroness?" she asked.

They nodded, it was only yesterday and the events leading up to that decision were still being gossiped about.

"The reason for that," Michel said, "was because the Baroness had developed a potion that can turn a commoner into a mage. She can grant magic to any person, and Lela was asked to demonstrate for the Queen and Flamen. The plan now is to use it to create more high level mages and end this war quickly."

Shocked looks and a burst of soft mutters followed that kind of announcement. For many, this rocked their world on its foundation.

"How does it do that?" One of the more vocal girls asked.

"We don't know for sure, we can only guess," Agnes said.

"What will happen now?" Asked another one, "will Lela leave us now that she became a mage? I didn't see her all day."

Agnes shook her head, "Lela is going to learn to be a mage with Baroness Bosquet's new potion. She is going to be used at my request as a test to see how long it would take for someone to become combat ready to open the option of mass training to end the war. After that she will return to our company."

As if her words were prophetic, the door opened and a sweat drenched Lela walked into the room. She didn't look at anyone, only walked to the fireplace and sat down heavily with her back to it. She swayed a little as she sat there.

"Are you alright Lela?" Agnes asked.

"Ask me when the men leave," Lela suggested pointing to a point five feet to the right of the group.

"… I think she's be fine in a minute or two," Michel said hopefully.

Lela just groaned in response.

"I think you're faking," Agnes said with narrowed eyes.

Lela actually giggled a bit deliriously. "I'm not seeing a group of guys," she admitted with a tired smile, "but I am tired and sore. Could you give me a minute to rest?"

Most of the group nodded and stood back to give her some room. The two in charge just waited.

After a moment Lela let out a long breath. "Okay," she said straightening, "I'm ready."

"What was the training like?" Agnes asked right off the bat.

Lela furrowed her brow with a frown. "It was very painful at first. I was learning three 'basic novice' spells of the 'destruction branch' of magicka," Lela caught on to the confused looks in the group. "She has a different way of grading spells then 'point, line, triangle, and square'. She has novice, apprentice, adept, expert, and master. Also magic is split into several 'branches' depending on what you want the magic to do."

The group absorbed her information quickly before Agnes gestured for her to continue.

"She taught me to throw fire, ice, and lightning from my palms," Lela said and everyone listening widened their eyes at wandless magic. "It only goes about a foot from my hands," Lela admitted, "but it's getting easier and less painful each time I try it."

Agnes nodded, pleased with the results. It would be harder to train larger groups but this test was proving that the skill could be taught very quickly, maybe even in a massive class type environment. They might be able to teach enough mages to make a difference on the battle field in about two months at this rate.

Michel on the other hand was internally grinned at the possibilities she could think up with this potion. Her ally would have the right connections for her plans to work.

The rest of the Musketeer knights were in awe.

"Do you think it would be possible for us to become mages?" The one who asked was a blond woman standing ram-rod straight towards the back of the room, she seemed to vibrate with excitement, her green eyes kept flashing looks in between Agnes, Michel, and Lela.

Agnes frowned, "I don't know Rue. One of the conditions put forth by Baroness Bosquet is that she gets final say in who receives the potion she created."

Rue frowned, "so I would have to ask her. Surly the Queen won't keep to that condition. You said that this is to create mages, wouldn't a condition like that lower the number of mages that could be produced?"

Agnes sighed. "Yes, it would," she admitted, "but I think we can work Baroness Bosquet around until she agrees to let more people take her potion."

Rue sighed in apparent disappointment, "so I have to convince a stuck up noblewoman to let me have some of her potion. Great."

To Rue's surprise, Agnes had something to say about that.

"Baroness Bosquet is not like many of the mages you'll find in Tristian." She said gritting her teeth, "She is humble enough to apologize for actions she recognized to be wrong. She isn't from Tristian originally, and I would like to meet more nobles like her even if I currently hate her for her actions."

The musketeers silently broke up after the considerable high praise from their captain.

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Tabitha was frustrated. The ability to shout would be able to put most of her fears to rest. Mages that might attack her would be devastated by the disarm shout she had first seen Dove use in her fight with Guiche.

But if the blasted easiest spell didn't even work, how was she supposed to progress?

Tabitha took a deep breath in, she needed to be calm. The point of meditating was to control your entire body. She shouldn't lose her temper.

She subtly straightened her back. She was once again meeting Dove in her room for their mediation, the small room was perfect for the concentration needed.

She breathed in, Fus, out, Fus.

It brought her nowhere.

Now she really wanted to scream. This task seemed impossible to her. 'Maybe I should have learned Magicka instead,' Tabitha thought to herself as she breathed in again.

'I need the edge,' she calmly reminded herself, 'can't use 'disarm' without knowing to shout.'

She needed to overcome this. She needed to succeed. Tabitha felt like she needed to _force_ her way through this.

Suddenly something seemed to click and she felt a tingle on her tongue. Without even bothering to try to identify the feeling, Tabitha opened her eyes and let it out with a reverberating shout.

"FUS!"

Dove's own eyes snapped open in time to see a familiar burst of misty air rushing towards her before she was thrown backwards off the bed and her eyes found themselves on the ceiling.

Dove blinked after a moment before she levered herself up onto her elbows. Tabitha was standing on the bed over her, looking down on the fallen elf. The blue haired young woman was a little breathless and a light layer of sweat coated her face.

""I did it," Tabitha said, her tone that of breathless awe. Dove barely heard the words as she lay upon the floor, her gaze directed up at the blue-haired girl now standing upon her bed. Light from the setting sun cast shadows across half of her face while the other was brilliantly lit with a golden hue.

Dove felt warmth burst in her chest at the sight in front of her as she shamelessly stared at Tabitha. She suddenly realized what she was doing and her face started to heat up. Even with that revelation she could not ignore the warm, damp feeling in-between her thighs

'She's beautiful,' was all Dove could think of at the moment. Some part of her was shocked at easy that thought came to her, unbidden as it was. Suddenly, Tabitha's proud smile fell as she realized that she had just essentially attacked Dove. Leaping down from the bed, she offered her hand to the Dove, who was still frozen on the floor. As Tabitha helped her up, Dove couldn't stop the thought that she wanted to see that smiling face every day.

Still red from her thoughts, Dove hugged Tabitha to hide her face and then spoke, "Great! Now to teach you the rest of the Shout. Ro, balance, and Dah, push. Meditate once more upon these. For all that you push with Fus, so too will the world push back and restore Ro, balance. To counter this, you must push the world harder that it pushes back, that is Dah."

Dove was once more surprised as Tabitha flashed her a smile at the end or her explanation. Bringing her gaze to meet that of the mage, Dove couldn't help but notice the unbridled joy that shone from the depths. With that, they went back to their positions, Tabitha continuing her studies of the Shout while Dove tried not to sneak glances at the girl.

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"Oh, yes," sighed a brunette as her husband kissed his way from her lips to her breast.

The man laughed into her skin as his wife's moans excited him and his exposed member rubbed down her leg pale as he shifted his head down to her chest.

Suddenly his wife jumped a little in bed before she held up a finger against his chest, pushing him backwards.

"What is it?" the Blond man asked as her action interrupted the mood.

"Honey," Mara spoke, "our daughter just found someone she loves."

Akatosh blinked in shock before a grin split his face, "YESSSSSS!" he crowed to the indistinct ceiling above.

Mara smiled before the rest of what she was sensing came to her and she frowned.

Akatosh was a good husband and hence was attentive to his wife's change in attitude. "What's wrong?" he asked as his worried frown matched Mara's.

"Our daughter loves another woman," Mara said simply. Love, and Mara by extension, didn't care about who you love, she was just concerned about how her child was going to progenate with who she loved.

Akatosh's eyes widened before tears started appearing in his eyes. "NOOOOOO!" he shouted like a big baby and collapsed into Mara's lap as his plans for grand-kid evaporated before his eyes.

Mara awkwardly rubbed her husband's head around the horns. "Don't worry," she said, "I'm sure we can find a way to help her have children."

"BRILIANT!" a voice shouted from the end of the bed causing Mara to jerk her head up in time to see an orange pants leg disappear through the bed room door.

"Well," she mussed, "that might just work." Then she concentrated on soothing her distraught husband over the chances of grand-kid.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Dove reached over her head with one arm and grasped it with the other, she leaned towards the raised arm as well causing her entire side to be stretched.

Last night was incredible.

After Tabitha had learned Fus she had gone on to master Ro and Dah with incredible ease. It seemed to be that all she needed was for the words to 'click' with her and then she would be able to shout with the best of them.

At least that was what Dove hypothesized. It was still too early to tell; the unrelenting force shout was the easiest shout to learn so that may be why she had learned the other two words so quickly afterwards. Now she was starting on 'Yol'

Anyway, Dove yawned as she walked along side Siesta to prepare for the day. Siesta had been sent to get Dove since she had been so tired that she had almost slept in. In her arms were a basket of cloths to go to the laundry.

The pair turned the corner and started to cross the front courtyard when a loud screech of pleading interrupted the quiet morning.

Both girls turned to see a tall blond stranger marching towards them. She had on a white blouse and a long straight skirt, her expression was a mix of determination and disapproval.

"Please! Wait! Eleonore!" a voice shouted from just behind the new woman.

Dove perked up to look around the woman to see Louise getting pulled along by the hand. It was almost comical watching Louise get dragged but a stranger (Eleonore), shouldn't be dragging Louise anywhere.

Dove moved forward to intercept them. She planted herself in their path and put her hands on her hips, a demand for her to explain halfway up her throat.

The woman didn't stop, instead she breezed past Dove, seizing her collar at the same time.

A bark of surprise was all Dove managed before she found herself being dragged behind the blond.

"You are coming to," Eleonore said as she kept on walking, dragging both young women behind her, one by the hand and the other by the back of her dress.

Throwing a look over her shoulder, she caught a look from Louise that stopped her first response of hitting the woman.

Praying she won't regret it, she looked back as the slowing shrinking door of the academy. Mr. Flirt was there, he was smiling and waving at them as he obviously enjoyed seeing them get pulled away.

Dove sent him a dirty look. 'Chivalry is dead,' she thought before deciding to allow this, it could be fun after all.

Not to let him get the better of her, Dove called out to the flabbergasted Siesta. "DON'T WORRY SIESTA," she smiled as she shouted, "I'M GOING ON A SUDDEN ADVENTURE. IF I DON'T MAKE IT BACK TELL MY LOVER THAT SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE FOR ME!"

Siesta just stood there slack jawed as Dove gave a wave before being pulled out of the academy.

* * *

 **So what do you think?**

 **Did that count as a LIME?**

 **there wasn't any in depth detail of the sexual scene so its not a lemon.**

 **anyways**

 **T-T !missing your review Perfectshade! T-T**

 **and**

 **my third story is starting to take shape, any Naruto readers who have advice are welcome.**


	36. Chapter 36

**begged you to give me**

 **but you didn't want to**

 **but**

 **Pie** **ce my piece he'll resort my faith**

 **that familiar of zero and Skyrim could belong to me**

 **to bad it doesn't yet.**

 **(All I got for now)**

* * *

 **XSDStich: Siesta just assumes that Dove is being dramatic. Eleonore took Dove because she could. Dove could make her look stupid in front of her mother, does that count?**

 **alexkehling: I'm reminded of Godzilla for some reason. I have an idea for kids.**

 **helkil: I hope to make Dove so politically powerful that her ears wont mean a darn. Would that count as very afraid of her?**

 **Guest000: It was the first time I wrote a lime so I was being cautious with it. Karin should be easy so long as Dove either fades into the back or stands out to much in the short term I think.**

 **Rook115: I do, you load the cannon backwards and that's how you cause it to backfire.**

 **lordhehl123: Nope, it was the suffiluakis peeking on the two goods getting it on. :}**

 **the guest: You are awesome. checking what you suggested two chapters ago... something along those lines.**

 **Akshka: In the anime he was rather smooth and collected for the most part so I'm trying to write him like that, not going off half cocked until he's sure to get you.**

 **amimai002: Sorry but Guiche isn't part of this right now so sorry your strange tale will have to wait.**

 **VulpineSnow: Agreed.**

 **evevee: Thank you for PMing with me about my story and THANK YOU for helping with the lime in the last chapter.**

 **RedBurningDragon: I was thinking that Dove has some other way to enchant her stuff, at first I was having her make it just because but its a really important part of Skyrim so I feel the need to make it work. Thanks for your opinion.**

 **Touhou is Life: Now we need the rest of the cast! It would be hard to find a Alfred for Dove since she's a maid at the same time.**

 **alexc123: Thanks, hope this lives up to you expectations.**

 **Guest: Here it is.**

 **UNSC Know Your Place: Three things; ONE, I like Halo a lot so your awesome. TWO, there isn't going to be an epilogue where that's the first time you see their kids they are going to happen in chapters. Three, the pairing is DoveXTabitha, I just don't post it on the cover for reasons mentioned before.**

 **GrimKid98: I know, I was chuckling about it for a while.**

 **Rook115: Yup, YOLO.**

 **gwojo:... Your making me feel bad about not pairing Dove with a dragon. :{**

 **Dragonsong2795: SORRY! This time it's not a classic at least. Thank you for all the love.**

 **MasterXMaster: The meeting between the two of them can go anywhere. The potion was just going to show up and then fade but literally, as I was writing about its effects I realized just how big the can of worms I had opened was, it's going to have far reaching effects for maybe the rest of the story.**

 **Command8: Your welcome.**

 **TheENDstyler: Thanks. Is your name the end-of-the-world styler or the Etherious Natsu Dragneel hair styler? :?**

 **NacNak: Thanks. Maybe, Nothing to do with a gift to someone.**

 **Me Myself and I: I don't know, She would have to investigate her sickness first. Maybe not medieval, but most definitely mocking.**

 **GRoyale: Hurry up, I really would like to hear your opinion when you catch up.**

* * *

Dove leaned back and enjoyed what she could during the ride. The carriage that she had been put into despite her protests was nice as far as carriages go so she might as well make the best of this deathtrap. There were two benches, one in the front and the other in the back, with curtained windows on either side of the doors and a large one across the back.

It was rather luscious for a means to transport servants around the country so that they could wait upon their masters. She even had someone to talk to for the journey.

However, now that she was sitting in the carriage, Dove didn't talk to the guy in here with her. Instead she realized something very important.

She didn't tell Agnes or Lela where she was going.

She was most likely going to be in _DEEP_ trouble when she got back to the academy. Maybe Siesta would tell her and save Dove's skin?

She shook her head and instead of foreseeing her painfully slow death by glaring captain, she looked at the other servant in the carriage. She really didn't know why the woman, Eleonore, she guessed she must also be an older Valliere girl based on how familiar Louise was with her, needed another servant since she had one in the carriage already.

The young man was maybe a year older than herself, his hair was a shade of dark brow that was almost black, he wore a nice black dress suit that Dove assumed was his uniform. His face was narrow and he smiled at her as she was forced into the carriage besides him.

"So you got pulled into this little charade huh," he asked after an hour or so of riding, politely looking at her out of the corner of his eye, as if looking directly at her would be offensive. "Guess I lose this round," he sighed.

"What?" Dove asked bluntly for clarification, looking at him directly.

He blushed a little bit. "Sorry," he apologized, "It's just that there is a little bit of a joke running around the manor that I work at. The oldest daughter of Duke Valliere has this occasional habit of picking up a person while visiting other places. The bet was on if the person was going to be a man or maid this time around, I lost."

Dove raised an eyebrow. "Your 'oldest daughter of Duke Valliere' has a habit of technical kidnapping and you guy bet on the gender of the victim?"

The manservant blanched as Dove put their little joke into focus and backtracked hastily. "No, I uh, well we, uh. She sends the person back unless they chose to continue working at the manor," his excuse felt shaky in the spot light from her glare.

"I really hope, for the sake of all those at this 'manor' that she lets me leave soon," Dove said darkly.

The manservant no longer felt like talking to her after that.

-[]-

Dove soon got bored with the lack of conversation. In hind sight, she really shouldn't have killed the guy's desire to talk to her as it appeared that they wouldn't reach their destination anytime soon.

The day was passing slowly and like she thought, the silence had encompassed the both of them way past the time that the sun went down. To counter her boredom, Dove had spent the entire ride leaning over with her head on the window seal watching the land pass her by. It hadn't been effective but it was better than nothing.

As the light faded, she sat upright and kicked her feet up onto the other seat, slipping down the seat so her feet reached the far side to do so. Crossing her arms and almost looked like a pouting child, she let herself doze for now. Slowly, as she fell deeper into her doze, her face relaxed and she slipped sideways until her head came to rest against the carriages other occupant.

The man quickly glanced out the corner of his eye to look down at her. She was breathing deeply between her slightly parted lips. Taking and holding a deep breath, he lifted an arm to place around her slim shoulders. However, she subconsciously noticed and stiffened as soon as he started to put it down gently on her shoulders.

He pulled back and with a slightly disappointed look set his hand back down in his lap.

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After about an hour of dozing they reached the perimeter of the Valliere lands.

The manservant risked some words when they crossed the bridge that marked those borders. "We'll be at the manor soon," he said softly causing her eyes to flutter a bit, "It's really a great place, the other servants are nice and the Valliere family is very kind, they just… each person has their own little personalities," he said it as if it was a good thing.

Dove slowly opened one eye to fix on the man before she sighed and let her lid drop. She'd pay more attention to him when they got close.

Almost half an hour later the man spoke again, "we're here."

Dove sat up, instantly awake with no flutter this time to the guy's minor disappointment.

She blinked as she saw what could only be called a moat with a drawbridge followed swiftly by a giant double door gate way. Dove couldn't help but feel a little bubble of excitement rise in her stomach at the sight of actual fortifications, she had started to believe that the nobles in Tristian were complete imbeciles when it came to home defense.

Also, another part of her head reminded her, beyond there was where Louise grew up, it was home for her friend and she was interested in seeing what it was like.

Luckily her carriage was in the front of this tiny procession during this part of the trip and so she got an unobscured view of the land beyond the gates as they gracefully opened before her.

The sight was magnificent.

The land itself was just like the rest of the world outside the walls; grass with soft hills without any attempts to gardening except for a tiny bit of mowing around the house and small forests dotting the area. Inside of the walls, the forest was just behind the manor itself and provided a backdrop to the wonderful sight before it.

The Manor was lit in golden torch light, over four stories tall and built like a brick. The building somehow seemed to extrude a sense of fortitude and beauty all by itself.

Dove found herself staring at the building in awe.

The manservant looked at her face with a smile. "Not too bad for a servant collector?" he risked a joke with a smile.

Dove instantly flushed and stopped looking at the house as if trying to hide her obvious excitement.

Manservant, Dove decided that she would never call him anything else in her mind since she hadn't asked his name, laughed softly at her caught expression all the way up to the door.

-[]-

As Dove descended the carriage she glanced back at the carriage Louise had traveled in as if to assure herself that she had also made it there and because she was just a bit nervous about coming here. Louise's obvious fear and respect for her mother taking the forefront in her mind.

She stopped moving, shock plainly written on her face as she saw a large bruise on the young girl's face. Just behind her with both of her hands on her hips and a largely disappointed look was Eleonore.

Louise was rubbing the purple cheek as she marched in front of her sister.

It took a lot of Dove's restraint to prevent her from marching over there and demanding to know what happened.

Instead she settles for a narrowing of her eyes and a silent promise to keep those eyes on the lookout for anything else untoward, it also didn't help that when she moved to go to Louise manservant caught her shoulder and said, 'we're supposed to stand three measured strides back," in her ear. By the time he was finished educating her on proper _walking_ etiquette, Louise was too far away to help

The entrance hall to the Valliere Manor was simply put, beautiful. The floor was some light grey marble with white inlays and was cut in half down the middle by the rich red carpet leading from the door to a grand stair case that then split off into two different wings.

Dove however found herself staring at the rows of people in servant attire instead of the building itself. On the right side were men in handsome dark suits, all ages young and old but all were also of a height with each other.

On the Left side were women in black maid uniforms. The only other color in their uniforms were the white collars, a mini apron, and opal stone neck ties. The men had white dress shirts but the rest of their uniform was also black, including the guys socks and the women's neckerchiefs.

Dove found herself actually feeling self continues about the slight stains she knew littered her much larger and practical apron and dress. She idly brushed and rubbed at a practically unnoticeable stain on the front left that had been driving her crazy for the last few days.

She followed the guy's stupid etiquette and moved in step with Manservant, just three paces behind the two Valliere sisters as they moved down the hall.

As one the servants all inclined their heads in a short bow and said, "Welcome home Miss Eleonore, Miss Louise."

Dove was slightly put on edge by their synchronized actions. 'Maybe they were all thralls to the evil vampire Valliere family," Dove thought humorously.

At the other end of the hall was a young woman. She was dressed in a puffy white blouse and deep velvet dress. Her hair was the same color of Louise's but she was as tall and endowed as Eleonore. Dove decided she must be a third sister, she really was learning a lot about Louise's family today.

The tall pink woman smiled gently at the small pink young woman. "Louise," she said with a doe eyed look, "Welcome home, little Louise"

Louise instantly smiled happily despite the minor pain from stretching her bruise. "Sister!" She cried happily and ran forwards into a hug. "It's been a long time, sister," she said into the taller woman's chest.

The older girl held her gently. "Louise," she said with a smile, "let me see your beautiful face."

Louise regretfully let go and stood for an inspection.

The soft woman's eyes widened before she forced a smile. "Louise," she said, her eyes shining with unshed tears, "you have become so beautiful, but what happened here?" she lifted a hand a brushed Louise's cheek.

Eleonore gave a huff from behind Louise's back. "She was disrespectful on the way home when I told her she was going to dedicate herself to bride training," the blond woman said imperiously.

Dove snarled internally and shot a venomous glare at the woman before an odd question occurred to her, 'bride training? How in Mara's name does one train to be a bride? Is there some kind of sex act or skill women must learn in this country?'

Dove blanched and shook her head to disrupt some risqué thoughts.

"She was actively participating in military drills of all things," Eleonore said holding a confiscated Derflinger. "Look at this. If she had continued, then she probably would have been hurt swinging this lump of steel around."

Louise looked angrily at Eleonore, she had much better sword skills then that thank you very much. Dove decided that she would need to sneak him away as soon as possible.

Tall pink, Dove didn't have a name yet, looked at her reproachfully. "That is no reason to mark her delicate face like this," she said with a touch of heat.

Eleonore huffed and slung the sword over her shoulder, she was planning on giving it to one of the blacksmiths on the grounds to reforge into jewelry for Louise. That would be a much better use of steel for her youngest sister.

"How are you, Cattleya?" Louise asked to change the topic.

Tall pink, Cattleya Dove could now call her, stopped looking at her eldest sister and smiled at Louise. "Thank you for worrying," she said sounding upbeat, "nothing has changed."

Dove could see the happiness drain a good bit out of Louise's face.

Cattleya could see the change as well and placed both hands on her sisters face to look deep into her eyes. "Don't worry. It's the usual," she assured her sister.

Louise looked back into her sister's eyes, looking for any signs of lying.

The mean sister interrupted their bonding moment.

"Cattleya," She demanded, "Where is mother?"

Both of her pink siblings looked at her; one in a little bit of fear and the other with reproach.

"She is readying herself for dinner. She was expecting you and Louise to be there," Cattleya informed her sister.

Louise stiffened, she could feel the cold sweat start to drip from her forehead.

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The dining hall was literally that, and entire hall with nothing but a table and chairs in it. The table was disturbingly long in Dove's opinion and made the family seated at it feel small, and incomplete. All the girls had freshened up and changed cloths for the meal. Louise wore a yellow dress while the others wore copies of what they had on before.

A large fireplace was positioned behind both ends of the table.

Three servants were positioned on each side of the table to wait on the eaters. Dove found herself standing just behind Eleonore and Cattleya with two other women, faceing her directly across the way was manservant and an equal number of male servers.

At one end was a severe looking woman in a purple dress that for some reason reminded Dove of armor, a strip of white started at her neckline and ended at about her hips but the rest of her was completely purple.

Eleonore had obviously inherited her eyes as they seemed to cut the meat on her plate without the assistance of fork or knife. Her hair would have gone to about her waist if not for the bun most of it was in, except for two long bangs framing her face, and made her the third pink haired woman Dove had seen.

Unlike all the other eating halls Dove had been in before, admittedly they tended to have a little bit less focus on manors and more on eating, the ones seated at this table gently cut their meat and ate slowly, one fork full at a time.

Dove could only watch this for about another five minutes after that she decided she was going to sidle up to the table and eat her fill. Her stomach was empty since there had been no stops on the journey here and she hadn't eaten breakfast or lunch because of the suddenness of their leave taking.

Fortunately, she was distracted from her empty feeling by some drama from the table.

Louise started it off with a glance and a muttered, "U-Um, mother…"

She was instantly interrupted by the blond, evil-eyed one looking at their mother. "Mother! Tell Louise for ME! She should stay home from now on!" Her tone was sharp and overly righteous before she turned to look at her sister in a rather condescending way, "She isn't a good mage, I'll bet she's an outcast at school too."

Dove smirked, pity for the eldest blond and pride in her student radiating from her. Louise had started to tremble when her sister started to dress her down in front of their mother, and now she too slowly stood.

Eleonore was about to launch into a second argument when she noticed her sister stand.

"I am a mage," Louise said with dignity, now on her feet. "I am a strong mage who has been tasked by the princess with orders that I'm not at liberty to discuss with you," she glared at her surprised sister. 'That ought to silence her,' Louise thought before moving on, "I suggest you hold your tongue about my choice of residence."

Eleonore leapt to her feet. "See mother? She has gotten out of hand!" She cried, "If we don't take her to task now she won't be able to get married. No one would want someone with her attitude."

"Why are you so worried about my marriage?" Louise asked, maintaining a dignified tone. She was frightened by her sister but she just couldn't let what she had said stand. Dove had trained her to be an incredible mage and the Queen had tasked her with an important job, there was no way she would allow both of them be insulted by her sister.

"Aren't you engaged to Count Burgundy?" Louise asked pointing at her sister, "I don't think I require a groom since the family line is going to be continued by you."

Louise was feeling empowered by her words; she was standing up to her sister! Her sister was a strong person but she was showing that she was just as strong if she could get back at her during this fight.

Her good mood was then dashed as she felt the intense anger burning from her sister.

Far too late her other sister tried to save her. "Louise that topic is-" she started only to be interrupted.

"LITTLE Louise," Eleonore cackled with mad anger, her face was red and Dove wondered if she was going to literally explode if she kept whatever she had to say inside, "To talk back to me like that, it looks like your arrogant attitude is the only thing to have grown larger!"

Louise was frozen in front of the storm that was her sister. Her only movement was a slight tremor that had seized the hand she had pointed at her sister, as if it was being buffeted by the wind closest to the storm on the other side of the table.

"THE ENGAGEMENT HAS BEEN DISSOLVED!" Eleonore shouted at Louise as she clenched her fists until they shook. "IT'S BEEN DISSOLVED! YOU GOT A PROBLEM?!" she slammed both hands on the table and leaned as far as she could over the table, looking for all the world like the three feet of wood between them was the only thing preventing her from strangling Louise.

Louise blinked, "Why did he do-"

"I don't know," Eleonore interrupted her sister suddenly calm again despite her continued trembles, "Something like, 'I can't take it anymore.' I wonder why he would say that."

Dove felt worry for Louise coil in her guts, her sister was looking very angry and she had already bruised Louise once for apparently talking back.

She decided to intervene.

"He, hehe, heeeehehehhahaahahahahah," Eleonore jerked her body around and Cattleya turned and looked to their right, Louise's mother glanced at Dove, and Louise looked to Dove as if she had lost her mind.

Dove kept the attention on herself by letting out another long peal of helpless laughter as her body bent at the waist to allow her continued merriment.

"HAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAH!"

After a moment she sucked in a breath and straightened upright again to look at the group of women at the table. Louise was giving her a lot of worried looks.

"I think I understand now," Dove said almost to herself with a pleased smile while addressing Eleonore, "You want Louise here because you can't get a date to save your life."

No one moved after her words. In the wild, when facing down a rabid animal, movement would most likely get you killed.

The eldest daughter of the Valliere family was that rabid animal here and now.

"What, did, you, say?" Eleonore asked slowly, enunciating each sound as if proper speech was a life or death factor. With each word, her head jerked just a little bit.

Dove's smile remained undiminished despite the fact that the other two maids had taken two large steps away from her - the line of fire-. "I said," Dove repeated a little slower, "'I think I understand now. You want Louise here because you can't get a date to save your life.'"

Eleonore just twitched, and twitched, and twitched as rage battled with her formally iron will. One side wanted to snatch her and crush the maid she didn't immediately recognize into paste while the other was arguing that she should be given the worst jobs around the manor for the next ten years.

Surprisingly it wasn't Eleonore or Dove who broke the tableau between the two women.

"I don't recognize you," Louise's mother, the feared Duchess Karin was the one who spoke, "I would however, demand you apologize to my daughter for your disrespectful words. Then you can pack your belongings and leave my home tomorrow at dawn."

Dove turned her smile on the Duchess, "Fine by me. However, I would insist that you return my student, the Queen's servant, Louise to me seeing as we have an important job to do before we were interrupted."

Karin frowned as she took in the strange woman's words. Cattleya looked at her, studying Dove as much as she could before she decided on how to make a move. Eleonore on the other hand was having none of it.

"You student? The Queen's servant?!" she shouted, "What are you talking about?"

Dove walked up to the table and pulled out the chair next to Cattleya. She then sat down in it and gave the pink haired girl a smile. "You don't mind if I rest my feet do you?" she asked with and excessively polite tone of voice. "I wasn't able to eat anything today and I'm famished."

Cattleya shook her head, "I don't mind if you answer my sister's questions."

"Fair enough," Dove said before stealing a piece of toast, "the answers are simple," she quickly took a bite before answering Eleonore's last question, "just what I said. Louise is my student and she has been given a task to preform by the new Queen. You taking her and me from our post at the academy has disrupted our intended task and hence, her plans."

Karin's frown increased. She was a former captain of the Manticore knights so she knew that tasks assigned by the Queen herself could only be the most important kinds of tasks. If what this woman was saying was true, it could be disastrous to interfere with whatever it was.

"Who are you?" She decided on asking, "You said you are my daughter teacher but I still don't have a name."

Dove smiled, "My name in Dove De La Bosquet."

Cattleya blinked, Eleonore's jaw dropped and all the servants looked at her in shock.

"You are a noble?" Karin asked the question on their minds.

Dove frowned around a snagged apple, "Henrietta said I'm a baroness. I have been called 'Baroness' by members of the queen's guard so I think so."

"Why is a Baroness wearing the cloths of a servant?" Cattleya asked. Eleonore looked unsure of herself as she realized that she might have offended a fellow noble by carting her off the academy grounds.

Dove looked at her, "Because I plan on actually being productive. I have a job that pays so I don't end up destitute if the worst comes around."

All the Valliere women looked at her in confusion. Nobles didn't need to worry about things like that.

"What have you been teaching little Louise?" Eleonore (Finally) asked an intelligent question.

"Magicka," Dove answered with a shrug.

Eleonore immediately scoffed, "Louise can't perform magic. Every attempt to do so was doomed to failure the moment she picks up her wand."

Dove smiled and looked at Louise expectantly. Louise looked at her, trying to convey both the crushing fear and wary hope she felt drowning her.

The other people at the table took note of Dove's line of sight and glanced at Louise, causing her fear to grow stronger as so many eyes landed on her.

Taking a breath, she lifted a hand and pointed it down the table.

FWOOOSH!

A burst of fire lanced from her hand down the table to putter out about ten feet from her palm.

"If the wand is the problem then we just won't use one," Dove said in the shocked silence that followed the youngest girl's demonstration.

Karin was the first to react. She turned her complete attention to Dove. "How did you teach this skill to my daughter?" She asked.

"I'm supposed to keep that information a secret," Dove said with a smile, "Although, feel free to ask the queen anytime want. She knows about my methods and it really is up to her who to inform about my training method."

Karin frowned at her denial of an explanation. "Then I will have to ask the Queen in the near future," she decided outload.

"You do that, now," Dove said looking at Eleonore, "I hope you have figured out that Louise is nothing like the girl that left this house to go to the academy of magic. She has come into her own and at least deserves your consideration before dismissing her will in favor of marriage. If not then you will most likely find yourself at the unfriendly end of a spell, or dragon."

Eleonore gaped at the audacious woman, true she was a noble and should have been more careful before insulting her, but she was just a landless Baroness, barely worth her title. She still didn't have the right to talk her, a daughter of a duke, like that.

"I will make decisions as I see fit," Eleonore snapped, "I know for a fact that Louise hasn't received any good marks in her classes for the last two years since she left for the academy. She simply can't complete any of the practical portions of the required work. Now that they are adding DRILLS!" Eleonore shouted the word, "Of all things, I know she won't be of any good and will just get herself hurt. She should instead come home and be helpful to the family."

Dove wanted to strangle the girl. Just a bit, or a lot.

Louise had just shown an incredible level of magic for people in Tristian and a fair amount of control for someone born in Skyrim, but her sister was talking about her GRADES AS IF THOSE WERE ALL THAT COUNTED! Rage at the short sighted woman bubbled in her like acid, ready to melt the annoyance into a blob on the ground.

Cattleya interrupted before Dove could act on any of those emotions.

"What do you mean, 'find yourself at the unfriendly end of a spell or dragon?'" she asked.

Karin answered her. "It was rumored that someone summoned a dragon at the academy this past year," she said, "I heard another saying that two dragons were summoned at the ritual and that both were there to fight at Tarbes. Are you saying that Louise was one of the people to summon a dragon?"

Dove nodded, "Yes, she was. However, the dragon she summoned is known for being possessive, your demeaning of her summoner might cause the dragon to take offense."

Eleonore looked at Louise, she honestly didn't know where she stood with her sister now. Her progress reports from the school had all indicated that her sister was a smart but magically incapable young woman. Yet the rumors she had dismissed about dragons summoning now painted her as something else.

Eleonore didn't know what to do.

Fortunately, she didn't have to do anything as her mother made her decision.

"We are expecting your father home tomorrow, Louise," she said to her youngest, "we will make our decision about your future then."

With that Karin stood up. "I will have one of the servants show you to a guest room for the night, miss Bosquet," she said addressing Dove, "for now, I am tired and will retreat to my rooms."

Dove nodded, accepting the room for the night.

Louise shivered, tomorrow wasn't going to be the least amount pleasant for her. 'But' a thought occurred to her, 'at least I have Dove in my corner.

* * *

 **OKAY!**

 **Two things:**

 **ONE: in repentance (;P) for not reviewing, perfectshade has made a new cover for my story and personal use. Check it out because I think it's awesome.**

 **TWO: evevee is awesome because he/she PMed with me to revamp my lime in the last chapter and now that's been updated. Checking it out would be my recommendation for those following Dove's romance to read the updated version.**


	37. Chapter 37

**Dear Mr and mrs Reader**

 **We regret to in form you that your son/daughter privet Writer has gone missing.**

 **he/she was last seen Friday October 28.**

 **The last communication had Privet Writer saying "I wonder what it would be like with mods."**

 **Luckily Privet Writer wrote this chapter in advance before vanishing into a dark abyss.**

 **A sticky note was also left behind with these words written on it:**

 **"I don't own Skyrim or Familiar of Zero"**

 **We apologize for the lack of communication with Privet Writer and hope to reestablish the connection soon.**

 **Sincerely** **General Large Star.**

* * *

 **Guest000: Ya, I'm rather happy with the last chapter and the cover art.**

 **XSDStitch: Probably not.**

 **helkil: Caution around any power is a good thing to have, even if it's your own. Love life is moving on.**

 **Guesty Mc Guest: No bone breaking for now, I can't promise later though.**

 **RedBurningDragon: That could work to appease and piss Agnes off, good idea.**

 **amimai002: GASP! NOOO you used the F word! FILLER!? I'm planning a bit of a storm when they get back to the academy.**

 **Boyzilla: Agreed on all fronts.**

 **evevee: I thought that a little extra aggressiveness would work with her dragon side.**

 **Guest: usually people don't want a dragon to appear.**

 **TheENDstyler: I at first pictured Dove as a little different but now can't think of Dove as anyone but the girl in the image perfectshade made me.**

 **Link01742: Maybe, soooo tempting.**

 **UNSC Know Your Plave: Note to self, add more boom.**

 **pedrofaria339: Thanks.**

 **Touhou is Life: Great! soon we will have the entire cast!**

 **alexc123: Soon I think.**

 **Rook115: Things might not get bloody at the Valliere house, but I make not promises when they get to the academy.**

 **perfectshade: I don't think most noble care enough about commoners to care if Eleonore picks up one of two. I liked how the episode seemed to have a good ending 'chapter' about the dinner so I stopped there. Karin basically can't do anything to directly interfere with Dove and Louise in my opinion so I wrote her looking for other avenues. Dove simply feels the need to point out that they are acting stupidly in her opinion, her jokes are often made to point out flaws.**

 **Zapper3000380: Tempting.**

 **Me Myself and I: I just checked, Cattleya is 10 Centimeters more endowed. WHy are we discussing bust size?**

* * *

Eleonore marched down the hall. Her temper was wafting ahead of her, snapping like a poisonous viper at everything it came in contact with, nearly setting the lighter materials it came into contact with on fire with its intensity.

Her destination luckily came into sight before her temper could have a chance to destroy anything valuable.

Eleonore pulled herself up sharply just outside the door to the master bedroom and took a deep, calming, breath. Taking a firm grip on the handle, Eleonore nocked before entering.

"Mother, I want to know why you didn't support me in front of that woman," She said as she moved through the door.

Her mother Karin was sitting on the side of her four post, king sized bed. The room was large with a purple and gold trim running throughout the decor. The blankets and sheets on the bed was a rich purple with golden dangles trimming the edge to emphasize this theme.

The room also contained a large wardrobe, her mother's vanity set, and a fireplace that was so large it could have almost fit Louise standing up within it.

Her cloths were an appropriate light pink sleeping gown and her hair was loose from the bun she had worn at dinner.

Instead of answering her question directly, Karin looked at her daughter in what might pass as surprise. "Where have you been Eleonore? Have you not heard the rumors about the dragon she claimed was summoned by your sister?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

Eleonore scoffed. "I think there's a rumor about a dragon being summoned every single time a summoning ritual is performed. I stopped giving heed to rumors about that kind of thing," She explained her reasoning to her mother simply.

Karin raised another eyebrow, looking almost shocked at her eldest. "And what of the familiar exhibition? Did you ignore the rumors about an incredible showing from a dragon then as well?"

Eleonore tilted her head and blushed a little, "I was visiting… Count Burgundy at the time and didn't pay attention to any rumors that might have surfaced during that time."

Karin stared at her for a solid thirty seconds before finally asking, "Did you at least hear about the dragons from the academy going to the front line to help push back the invaders when they took over the town of Tarbes?"

Eleonore shook her head, she had heard that there were dragons on their side during the fight with Reconquista but hadn't heard that the dragons had come from the academy, she thought that they had been part of the army to begin with.

Karin sighed. "What Baroness Bosquet was insinuating," she explained, "was that our youngest family member has summoned one of the greatest creatures that could possibly be summoned, has outshone every other participant in the exhibition, and was argued to be the deciding factor in the first battle of the war our country finds ourselves in."

Eleonore shifted uneasily as her mother listed out every reason why she should have taken the woman she had dragged off the academy more seriously. Her mother then added another good point.

"Aside from what she implied. Baroness Bosquet outright claimed that Louise has been given a job to preform by the Queen herself," Karin shook her head, "Tasks like the one she seemed to be suggesting Louise has to complete are often times dangerous things. Louise might be part of a task force protecting the academy or practicing for missions behind enemy lines."

Eleonore gasped and moved forward to the bed and seized her mother by the upper arm. "But she could get hurt," the blond cried, "What if she gets hurt, what if she dies?!"

Karin winced as her eldest came very close to showing open emotion instead of just volume. "She has proven that she can fight," the mother started to reassure her daughter, "that blast of fire in the dining hall was rather impressive and Bosquet did say she was teaching her how to use magic."

Eleonore shook her head in exasperation. "That would just get her hurt, they would send her to the front lines if she becomes more powerful," she said.

She tried reasoning with her mother, "Louise hasn't shown any skill with practical magic before now. She has to have only recently started learning whatever skills that Baroness has been teaching her, so she might not have hit the wall she has always had with magic. What if she hits that wall on the battle field?"

Karin gently removed the hands of her daughter from her arms, laying them down in her own lap.

"If she does," Karin answered, "then we must make sure it is in the company of comrades instead of the enemy. I don't think either of us can stop her from going to battle sometime in the near future, but we can insure that some stay with her to keep her safe."

Eleonore looked into her mother's eyes, "But how can we do that? Who ends up where in the army depends on the Queen and her generals."

Karin tilted her head in thought. "We don't know enough," she mussed before focusing on Eleonore, "you said they were doing drills."

Eleonore nodded.

"Then," Karin spoke her idea as it occurred to her, "we need someone to influence those drills."

Eleonore blinked as her mother's idea sank in. "You want someone to go to the academy and cause her to screw up so that she comes home?" She asked hopefully, it was basically her idea except that she came home without a groom if that was the case.

Karin violently shook her head. "No, obviously you're too stuck on the idea of your sister coming home to understand," she chastised her daughter. "What I think we need," Karin corrected, "is someone we trust who can help her become strong enough to survive, or influence who she is placed under the command of to ensure that she will have companions to protect her on the battlefield."

Eleonore slowly nodded as she thought about what her mother was suggesting. Eleonore and her mother stayed up late conspiring to protect their youngest after that.

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"Why Does Eleonore do this to me?" Louise huffed to her second eldest sister as they prepared to go to bed, "she might have been mean before but dragging me home and demanding that I get married was beyond anything she's done before."

Cattleya paused in her actions, she was brushing her sister's hair to the point where it shone. Looking down she smiled at her sister's reflection in the mirror. "She does it because she loves you. She wants you to be safe."

Louise huffed. "Nothing worthwhile in life is safe," she quoted one of Dove's earliest lesions, "she's just going to have to get used to the fact that I'm going to fight, and be good at it, despite the fact that it's not a 'safe' event."

Cattleya sighed and put down the brush, "She just doesn't want you to get hurt. She reads your grade reports and get worried that you won't be able to defend yourself despite how good you are."

Louise jerked her head up so that she was looking directly at Cattleya. "But I showed how strong I was at dinner," she argued, "I cast fire from my palm without a wand, surly that is enough to get her off my back," she whined.

Cattleya slowly shook her head, "I'm sorry little sis, but when you get used to worrying about someone you don't change even if they get stronger. In fact, you tend to worry about how they got so strong so quickly, 'did they do something that could hurt them later in life?' type of worry."

"She doesn't need to worry, I have Dovahkiin to protect me even if I can't do it myself," Louise said returning her attention to the mirror in front of her.

Cattleya frowned, covering her expression, she retrieved the brush she had set down a moment ago and returned to brushing Louise's hair. After waiting a moment or two to let the sense of normalism return she asked. "You are about the age of falling in love. Do you have someone special back at the academy?"

Louise turned a deep red color and squawked, "NO! There isn't."

She sighed and dropped her head against her chest, her tone accepting defeat, "there isn't anyone for me there, just my familiar. No boys want a little girl like me."

Cattleya sighed, she could tell that her sister was sadly being honest. "Then why not take Eleonore's advice and stay her to get married?" she asked, "If it's so bad back there then why stay?"

Louise groaned. "It's not that bad," she denied looking at her sister longingly, "I have friends and I'm helping my first friend, the Queen, do something important that I'm unfortunately not allowed to tell anyone about… but it will cause a great change in this war and beyond."

Cattleya could tell that Louise wanted to tell her about what she was doing but couldn't.

"I understand," she said, "But you should find someone you like soon." She didn't like it when the rest of her family fought and she could tell that what Louise and that Baroness were saying was going to cause a lot of arguments.

Louise frowned as she stood up from the vanity. "Why do you want me to find someone?" She asked as she moved around her sister towards the bed.

Cattleya shook her head and sighed, "I don't really care if you have a boy or not as long as you're happy. I was just curious as to why you don't want to find one."

Louise stopped just beside the bed she was going to be sharing with her sister. Twisting around on her foot, her face red, she busted out, "I want someone, I really do, but they don't want me because, because... becauseI'mflatchestedIdon'twanttotalkaboutthisanymoregoodnight."

Louise twisted around again and threw herself under the blankets, pulling them up and over her head to hide her face.

Cattleya just sat there for a moment blinking at the lump under her blankets. It seemed that her sister had a bit more growing before she found the maturity to find someone. Cattleya smiled, that was fine in her opinion, she didn't want her little sister to leave them just yet.

That smile then broke as a thought occurred to her. She was fine with it, but what about her mother and older sister?

They might need watching to protect Louise, she decided.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Manservant, 'never goanna learn his name, that's all I'm going to call him' Dove decided, walked the revealed Baroness down some halls towards the guest wing.

"I'm sorry for not realizing that you are a Baroness," the man apologized giving Dove a small head bow. Internally he was shivering as he remembered getting caught taking in the woman's figure during the trip here. It was a nice figure, toned and strong but still with generous womanly gifts. But he wasn't thinking that now.

Images of what an angry noble could do to him filled his mind instead.

Dove ignored his apology and kept walking.

Manservant looked down in embarrassed fear at her silence.

"What part of me is attractive?"

Manservant looked up, startled by her question. The fear he had before had doubled and it was all he could do not to start sweating. "I'm sorry?" he asked praying he had misheard.

Dove stopped and turned to give her full attention to the now panicking man. She needed to know if what was attractive about her in Skyrim was considered attractive here in Tristian.

"What, part, of, me, was, attractive, to, you?" She repeated slowly a questioning look in her face. She was looking for something.

"Was it these?" she grabbed and lifted her breasts, "or this?" she dropped her mounds with a bounce and caressing her butt only to let her fingers slide forwards to cross her front. 'What attracts a person more in this land?' she wondered.

Manservant turned red as his eyes remained stuck on the part that bounced.

Dove noticed. "I see," she said looking at her globes. 'Would Tabitha like them as well?' she wondered. She really liked her she realized with a start.

Ever since Tabby had thrown her across the room while mediating she had only confirmed that she liked girls by noticing the other women as she passed them in the Valliere mansion. She had been expecting that result after that night, the surprising fact was the fact that she had started comparing every woman she saw to Tabitha.

This made her think that she might be attracted to Tabitha personally. She shivered as that thought passed her over, she wasn't sure what to do now that she apparently found someone to love.

It was unexpected, she still didn't know how to handle it. After picking herself off the floor that night, she had decided to investigate both her emotions beyond meditation and her effect on others.

She wanted to know if what was attractive about her to men was also attractive to women.

Unfortunately, no one had looked at her too openly, not nearly open enough for her to ask that kind of question and receive an answer up until Manservant helped her just now.

"Thank you," she said smiling at the still frightened man.

Manservant blinked, all thoughts of being thrown out of the manor by an angry noblewoman leaving his mind in a second. Confusion replaced any thoughts as he stared wide eyed at Dove, 'thank you?' his thoughts echoed.

Dove remained smiling at him as she turned and returned to walking down the hall. Manservant started for a moment before following in her light footsteps.

"So where am I going to be sleeping?" Dove asked Manservant as he caught up.

"The guest bedroom," Manservant responded looking down the hall to the door at the end. "It's a very comfortable room with a view of the backyard. The decor-."

"Thank you," Dove said cutting him off gently, "but I don't think I need an in depth description of the room I'm about to see."

Manservant paused, the entire boring speech about the guest room was something that all the servants of the Valliere family was supposed to learn just in case anyone happened to be there when guests arrived.

"Thank you," he said, something told him that she would be alright if he expressed his next thoughts, "I really hate repeating that list of interesting features about the guest room, but everyone has to learn it."

"That's got to suck," Dove said with a look as they reached the door that Manservant opened with a gentlemanly flourish.

Inside was a room about thirty-five feet by thirty feet. The floor around the queen sized bed was on top of a deep blue carpet that had a pond like design, soft green and pink 'lily pads' were decorating it in large bunches around the bed posts.

The rest of the room had a wooden floor that was burnished until it practically shone. The walls were a soft tan color and had a small balcony leading to the view Manservant had mentioned to the right of the doorway.

"It's a nice room," Dove said as she entered and gave it a look around, "it must be hard to keep this room clean."

"Thank you," Manservant said happy that she appreciated the work it took to maintain the room.

"I guess this is good night?" Dove said looking at him thoughtfully.

"Yes my lady," Manservant said simply, "do you have any luggage that might need to be brought?"

Dove looked at him as if he was stupid. "Remember?" she asked, "I got dragged off in the middle of work by Eleonore. All that I have is what I stand up in."

Manservant reacted immediately. He was a good, gentlemanly servant and knew that that simply won't do.

"I will go ask Mistress Cattleya if you might borrow a nightdress for the night," he said and turned on his heel.

"Uh, thanks," Dove called after him as he closed the door behind him. She wasn't expecting him to do that; back in Skyrim you slept where ever and in whatever you happened to go to bed in, in the academy she took care of herself, but here she was being taken care of by a servant.

"…"

"…"

Dove decided she didn't like it. She liked that someone was willing to help her, but there was a reason why she left all of her housecarles back home when she when adventuring.

Deciding that there was nothing for it, Dove walked over to the bed and pulled the blankets off for bed before sitting down and waiting for Manservant to return.

After ten or so minuets he had returned. "I was able to borrow one of Miss Cattleya's night gowns," he informed her from where he stood by the door.

Dove got up and took the soft pink, knee length dress from Manservant. "Thank you," She said before cracking a grin, "we seem to be thanking each other a lot tonight."

Manservant gave a little bow, "It's a nice change of pace from many others who have visited us, My lady."

Dove smiled and Manservant quickly left the room to give her privacy. Dove slipped out of her maids' uniform but instead of putting on the nightgown, she walked over to the balcony doors.

Talking about a dragon busting down your walls was a nice way to get people's attention but Dove was more of a physical woman anyway.

Pushing the doors open, Dove walked out onto the balcony proper. It was very dark on this side of the house, no one could see her.

The air was cold but not as cold as spring air in Skyrim, it caused her breath to form steam but that didn't bother her. Dove sucked in a breath before shouting.

"Mul Qah Diiv."

Just before her shape became too large for the balcony, Dove jumped off. As she crashed to the ground a story bellow, a few lights were carried to the windows and faces filled them.

Dove turned and hissed at the building as if she was pissed beyond all reason. The response was immediate, the faces all disappeared.

" **ROOOAAHHHH!"** Dovahkiin roared at the night, shaking the glass panes and announcing her presence to those as of yet unaware of her.

The doors to another balcony suddenly slammed open and Louise's mother came charging out, accompanied by Eleonore.

Dovahkiin smirked evilly as she turned and crawled towards the base of the building below them. Coming to the buildings wall, Dove lifted her wings to grip the edge of the third story balcony railing.

-[]-

Karin nodded in agreement with Eleonore, she had just come to an agreement with her eldest daughter for her youngest. Now all that she needed to do was work fast, their plan revolved around convincing her husband of-

 **"** **ROOOAAHHHH!"**

A roar suddenly shattered her sense of satisfaction with the plan. Karin drew her sword wand and was in motion in the next second.

Bursting out the door, Eleonore at her side, Karin looked for the monster that could create such a noise.

Her breath froze in her lungs when two large bat like wings clamped themselves to the edge of the balcony railing and started pulling the beast up. Cracking noises littered the night as the stone railing took the brunt of the creature's weight.

As its head topped the railing, Eleonore panicked and thrust her wand forwards causing a burst of air to crashing into the dragon.

Dovahkiin shook her head in annoyance as the wind moved her head back a bit but did little else.

 **"** **ZUN HAAL VIIK!"** Dovahkiin's loud, thunderous voice shouted as Eleonore's wind attack died out. Eleonore and Karin didn't have time to react as a wave of pale vapor raced from the dragon's mouth to them and enveloped the both of them.

As soon as the vapor hit, the two felt their wands leave their hands and heard them clatter on the floor somewhere.

Neither had the time to look for their wands as the dragon suddenly pulled itself up the wall until it's chest was on the edge of the balcony.

Dovahkiin looked down on the two mages as if she was deciding on the best way to eat them.

Both women looked up in defiance, they knew that they would both die when the dragon attacked. Their wands were gone and there simply wasn't enough time to escape with the speed it had demonstrated.

 **"** **I will only ask this once,"** both women blinked in surprise as their minds tried to process the unexpected fact that they were alive, and something about the dragon talking, **"Where is Louise? Where is the one who summoned me? If you have hurt her then I will crush you."**

Eleonore's jaw worked as she continued to process a talking dragon while Karin sucked in a breath and composed the information for now.

Before either women could react to this, the sounds of a pair of footsteps distracts them.

Coming out onto the balcony is Louise and Cattleya. Karin suddenly breathed a little easier as she notices that Cattleya has her wand and she might be able to take Louise's from her and use it before she causes some damage.

Before either of women directly under the dragon's snout could react, Louise marched forwards and shouted at it.

"BAD DOVAHKIIN! You should have stayed at the academy until I was back. I wasn't going to be gone long thanks to Dove," her words leave the group of women shocked at their youngest sibling/daughter.

The dragon snorted, **"You vanished, I thought that something untoward had happened."**

"I'm fine," Louise assured her dragon, "I was just brought home for a little bit. I'll be returning to the academy tomorrow."

'If my father lets me,' she kept to herself.

The dragon looked down on her, apparently examining her words. **"Fine,"** she said as if reaching a decision, **"I expect to see you as soon as you arrive back tomorrow, if not… I'll be back."**

As soon as she finished speaking, Dovahkiin pushed herself backwards off the balcony. Ignoring the cries for her to stop and questions shot at Louise, Dovahkiin landed on the ground and marched off into the woods.

As soon as she was out of sight, Dovahkiin returned to human shape and let a satisfied smirk appear on her face. Then she blinked,

'Buck naked in the woods.'

She might not have thought this part out completely Dove realized a bit late as she rubbed her upper arms to word off the chilly air.

Sneaking back into the house wasn't too hard since everyone was stuck watching the back of the house where Dovahkiin had vanished, but sneaking through the halls was.

Dove opened the servant's door hesitantly and finding no one there, raced through the room and up the stairs.

The stairs ended and she found herself in a room only a few doors from the one she had been given,

Finally, she dodged around a corner and sprinted down the hall to slip though her barrowed bedroom door.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she went to the bedroom blinds where she left the nightgown and slid it over her head. It was a little loose across the chest but not by much, she must be an inch or two smaller than Cattleya there.

Moving back to the bed, Dove delighted in how soft the cloth was, it was that soft/fuzzy kind of cloth that almost felt like a baby blanket she had from when she was the pleasant feelings from the cloths, Dove pulled the covers open and crawled in to go to sleep.

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Dove was up before any of the servants had time to come to her room. As she finished tying her apron around her waist to finish getting dressed, a knock on the door distracted her.

Dove opened her mouth to answer but before she could the door opened and a young maid came through.

"It's time t-," the maid started only to stop when she saw an already awake Dove. "How are you awake and dressed already?" the maid blurted out, she liked it when she got to wake up the guests since most nobles she knew weren't morning people.

Dove shrugged and spoke in an obvious tone of voice, "I got up earlier."

The maid was silent for a moment as if she expected more of a reason from Dove of why she was up.

"Do all maids who work here enter so quickly after knocking?" Dove asked, "without actually getting a 'come in' from the person in the room I mean."

The maid suddenly blushed. "No," she quickly denied thoughts similar to manservants in her head.

"It's just that most people in the house need to be woken up in the morning and with all that happened last night I thought that it would be a good idea to come to you. Well, the lady of the house didn't need to be woken up but she was the captain of the manticore knights and is used to getting up early for her training. Most sleep late because they stay up late, like Eleonore-"

Dove sat there for a solid two minutes, honestly impressed that one person could keep going like that.

"So Cattleya's little animals had to be coaxed out of their hiding places as well as the normal times that she has to get up and take care of them so she needs to get a friendly reminder to get up. It's rather different when the master of the house comes around h-."

"Enough, you made your point," Dove interrupted the babbling maid who flushed a bit in embarrassment before snapping her mouth shut.

"Let's just ignore what happened so far today," Dove said to ease the girl's embarrassment.

The maid gladly nodded and gave a little bow, many – in fact all nobles she had heard of – would have punished her for her actions. "Breakfast is going to be served in an hour," she said before retreating from the room post haste.

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The woman of the Valliere family along with their now named guest were treated to a rather nice meal on the same balcony overlooking the back of the house that Dovahkiin had made an appearance on last night. The smaller balcony from Dove's room was actually just to the side and lower on the building then the one they were on to eat.

"Thank you for the night cloths," Dove said to Cattleya as she took one of the rolls and started to butter it.

Cattleya smiled at her as she blew softly on her tea. "You're welcome miss Bosquet," She said.

Dove snorted, "I prefer if people called me by my name, Dove, if you don't mind."

Cattleya nodded politely, "I can do that Dove."

"Why did you have to borrow my sister's cloths?" Eleonore asked, she still didn't like what Dove had said about her love life. "And why didn't we see you during the event last night?" she added with a glare.

"I had to barrow some cloths from Cattleya because a blond haired, sharp eyed demoness dragged me from my home and into its lair to be its eternal slave," Dove said with a snigger before adding, "and I heard the roar, but expected that Louise would take care of it. She does have _some_ control over her companion after all."

Eleonore glared at Dove.

Just then a male voice came from the doors leading inside. "Has Louise returned?" it asked.

Dove turned around and blinked, at the large double doorway was the most Nord like looking man she had seen since she had been brought to Tristian.

"You're late in returning," Karin said looking up from her tea to eye the blond man, "did the military meeting run overtime?"

The guy was tall, robed in purple with a cape and had a moustache and beard. His cloths had a large white collar that trailed down his robe, the shirt underneath was decorated with three large, golden, buttons down the front. On his face was a monocle.

"Yes," the man answered Karin's question. Dove looked between the people at the table and concluded that this must be Louise's father, Duke Valliere. "I must leave again soon as well," he said sitting down.

He looked at his youngest, for the moment ignoring the guest at the table. "I had heard a rumor that you were at the battle of Tarbes young lady, is that true," he asked in a no nonsense tone of voice.

"Yes father," Louise said, "I was on the front lines with the princess while my familiar flew with the griffin knights to take out the air ships."

"That was a very dangerous thing to do," he reprimanded her before shaking his head, "You shouldn't have been anywhere near that battle field. You should stay home and get married instead of risking your life."

'HA!' Eleonore shouted in her head as she looked at Louise.

"To do so would be interrupting a servant of the queen in the middle of her mission," Dove said before taking a bite of the bread.

The man looked at the one woman he didn't know. "Who might you be?" he asked gruffly, her cloths said maid but her position at the table rather than serving it said there was more to her then met the eye.

"My name is Dove," the woman said with a shrug, "I'm in charge of a task assigned by the queen and Louise is supposed to be helping me." she bent the truth a bit, Louise had her own task, but it amounts to the same thing in her head so it should be alright.

The Duke gave her a sudden, hard look. He hadn't heard of a mission from the queen to anyone, let alone to his daughter.

"I'm not sure that I believe you," he said looking at the woman.

"Believe whatever you want," Dove said with a smirk, "just know that if you force Louise to stay and get hitched you will have to deal with Louise's dragon, which visited here last night, and then the queen. Either way, she's not staying here to be married off."

Eleonore shivered as she remembered the dark shape from last night overshadowing her.

Dove then stood up suddenly. "Thank you for the food, room, and cloths for the night," she said politely, "However I need to get back to the academy before the head of the Musketeer force decides to blow up something in her anger at my sudden disappearance."

Dove started walking away without an acknowledgment or permission from those around the table.

"Are you coming Louise?" Dove said over her shoulder, "I'm sure that Dovahkiin is waiting for you about now."

Translation: get your rear in gear.

Louise looked from her teacher's back to her family. "I'm sorry mother, father," Louise said standing up, "but the queen has given me a job to fulfill."

Eleonore jerked to her feet as Louise started to move away. "You're not going back to the academy," she announced, "it's too dangerous. You are staying here."

She silently hoped that her mother's idea would work.

"I need to go," Louise argued.

"Why should I let you go?" Eleonore snapped, "I know you're just going to get in trouble with the war going on, I can't allow you to bring down the family name."

Louise glared at her sister, family is important but was it really more important than her freedom?

Apparently so because her father, after a moment of thought, was suddenly nodding. "I agree with Eleonore," he said before turning to Louise, "you may return to the academy."

Louise looked at her father in confusion until he continued. "but only if Eleonore follows you there, she can keep the family name from being tarnished," he finished his decision.

Louise silently clenched her hands into fists until they hurt, tiny trembles racked her body. Karin and Cattleya noticed this but both stayed silent.

"As you say, father."

* * *

 **In real life:**

 **I've found that I lost the will to write this entire week, good thing I had written a full chapter in advance because it's my habit.**

 **also**

 **I decided to replay Skyrim on the Skyrim Remastered with some immersive modes, Frostfall and such. I've so far have enjoyed it a lot and recommend the remastered game to others. (they worked a lot on the outside world, everything seems a lot more seamless then before).**


	38. Chapter 38

**Look in the sky!**

 **It's a bird!**

 **It's a plane**

 **NO!**

 **it's a fanfiction that makes no money since it doesn't own Skyrim or Familiar of zero!**

* * *

 **XSDStitch: True. Dragon chow de la Eleonore sounds nice. Dovahkiin is about twice the size of Sphyrid, but I don't have an exact measurement.**

 **helkil: Thanks it's a gift.**

 **UNSC Know Your Place: Thank you.**

 **TheENDstyler: Well they are trying to give her the best protection they can even if it stunts her in what they think is the short term.**

 **Akshka: Thank you, I'm working on it.**

 **VulpineSnow: Speaking of Tabitha, there's another attempt at a lime here.**

 **RedBurningDragon: How would Dove 'confess' to Tabby? I don't think shes ready for that.**

 **Boyzilla: It wasn't that, it was total, "I've writen a chapter every week for about ten months so screw it, I'm just going to nap instead."**

 **amimai002: It's more of the dragon implies just how badly the kingdom would suffer if she's not returned but I think this could be a Disney story.**

 **Guest: True but the pairing has been decided.**

 **Touhou is Life: Oh really? images of what exactly?**

 **Guest: Here it is.**

 **Evevee: She was a bit surprised by how much she wants to get Tabitha, She's come to terms with wanting Tabby but now's finding how just how deeply. I think breasts are comparable to celestial bodies anyways.**

 **Dragonsong2795: IT help, I tried putting it on my laptop at first but it didn't work so I put it on the computer station to fix it, maybe your computer just doesn't have the hardware to play it?**

 **Kiden: If there are, then they would be in the Valliere manor not the academy, there they just think she's strange.**

 **AnAncientBard: Thanks for the help, I really suck at spell check.**

 **StrangerDanger51: I'll have to check MxR out if that's the case, are they on PC?**

 **alexc123: I was thinking about calling him Carl.**

 **perfectshade: Smart and scary indeed, I'm planing on this exploding on this decision Valliere eventually. I'm concerned that Dove might not realize how direct and crass she's being. She LOVED every moment of being a dragon at the Vallieres until she realized she was naked outside without a surefire way to get back inside.**

 **I think that Agnes's day might be an omake later.**

 **NacNak: Thank you**

* * *

 **Citrus-y chapter.**

* * *

Dove walked alongside the carriage going back to the academy.

Before the two sisters she had at first been sitting in the carriage waiting for her younger friend to hop in alongside her, but she had immediately jumped out when she saw the blond Valliere sister following Louise.

"What's this?" Dove had asked eyeing one of the two of them as they approached.

Louise looked up at her, and Dove almost hugged her on the spot. Louise's eyes were calm, placid, neutral, something she had done when they first met but only recently did when she was hiding hurt.

"My father," she had informed Dove simply, "has decided that I will be allowed to continue my career at the academy under the supervision of my sister Eleonore. To insure the wellbeing of the Valliere family name."

Dove narrowed her eyes as she thought about how she would have reacted being told that she needed a full-time babysitter. She then glanced up at the sister, "I see," her tone was frosty while she glared at the blond. Dove then bent down and hugged Louise, "I'm sorry," she whispered to the pink girl.

Louise's eyes widened for a moment, recognizing that out of everyone that claimed to care for her, only Dove had said the one thing she needed to hear, before she reached up and hugged Dove back, "Thank you."

"What are you two standing around for?" Eleonore said as she interrupted the tender moment, "After all, it was you who said that we have to get back to the academy as soon as possible. Even though it will take us almost the entire day to get there."

Dove straightened up and gave Louise's shoulder one more rub. "You're right," she said disdainfully, "let's get going." With that she marched off down the road, not waiting for the carriage to catch up to her.

Eleonore just stared after her for a couple of seconds while she tried to believe that someone would apparently walk away from a carriage for an extended journey. Louise just shook her head and got into the carriage.

"Come one big sister," she called to her sibling, taking a slightly amused tone as she looked at Eleonore, "Dove doesn't like it when people doodle around instead acting."

After looking at the walking Baroness for a couple seconds longer, Eleonore got into the carriage.

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Dove by that time had established a good hundred-meter lead on them and was walking about as fast as the slow carriage was moving.

She didn't get in to the carriage when it drew level with her and the driver offered. She smiled and shook her head despite the confused looks the driver gave her, she just responded with, "I want to walk," and kept on going.

While she walked, she burned off the boiling cauldron of rage she had for the Valliere family.

The mother was stupidly hard on her daughters, the eldest daughter was stupidly abrasive and intense in all that she did, Eleonore was stupidly following the damn woman's example without even checking the road ahead for cliffs, and the father was just plain stupid.

Dove huffed, as she argued with herself. She hadn't known the family for any real length of time, she admitted. The longest she had known any of them was the eldest daughter who she had known for a grand total of twenty-six hours.

However, the girl apparently wasn't up to date on or disregarded anything she might have heard about the war with Albion, she shouldn't have worried if she had been. Louise's skills and those of Dovahkiin were the main talk about the first battle, if boggled Dove's mind as to how she couldn't have heard something about that little episode.

The mother was protective of them but she pushed all her children to succeed to the point where they just were broken and possibly left in the dust instead, maybe that was what happened to Cattleya.

Dove's thoughts scoffed at that point, 'rule of steel' she sneered in her head. Fine steel was valued in a weapon because it bent and flexed instead of breaking, what that woman seemed to expect from her children wasn't steel but cast iron.

Cast iron is exceptionally hard, but the issue it has is the same as all other hard materials, when they cool they tend to create hard grains that pulled of the rest of the grains in the piece around them and created what was called brittleness. There was just no way excessive hardness would work for the woman's intended analogy.

She knew the father was the shortest amount of time, only met him that morning for not even five minutes. But his decision was just plain stupid. Not only that but it hurt Louise's self-confidence, she was almost desperate for her family's approval. Being given a babysitter was a slap in the face from her most beloved family that most likely hurt for years.

One shining hope on the other hand was the second sister, Cattleya. She hadn't looked at Louise with anything but love and affection. The question Dove had now was why she hadn't done more for Louise. She had been nothing but loving to her sister but she had also moved around the area carefully, like she was going to break.

'Was she injured?' Dove wondered as she kept on walking or lightly jogging. 'She didn't have any bandages so maybe she was sick. '"Thank you for worrying," she had said sounding upbeat, "nothing has changed." That is what she said,' Dove remembered. She would have to ask for specifics from Louise later.

-[]-

Eleonore for her part of the trip kept her gaze fixed ahead in the carriage, her pride refusing to let her stare out the window at the crazy mage who was keeping pace with the carriage's fast pace. She had ordered the driver to make them go a little faster than normal as a form of payback for her attitude and disrespectful comments at breakfast.

Louise on the other hand just kept silent as she watched the silent show of dominance between the two slightly older women. She was more than touched by what Dove had said to her, even if it was a simple apology. Thinking back, she couldn't think of a time that anyone in her family aside from Cattleya had apologized to her before.

Now she silently waited for Eleonore to lose to Dove. It was inevitable in her mind; her familiar was the greatest _person_ to have ever lived and now she was fighting for her against her family's treatment of her.

She wasn't sure how she felt about that since they were her family, but on the other hand; she was a responsible young woman. She didn't need Eleonore watching over her as a guard or babysitter of honor.

All three women shelved their respective thoughts for now, Dove kept walking, Eleonore kept watching, and Louise started to doze.

The sun was low in the sky when the carriage finally arrived back at the academy. Dove was still walking but breathing a bit heavily from the day long trek. Eleonore opened the door to the carriage the second it stopped, ignoring the footman who was normally supposed to get the door.

"Are you tired from that childish display?" she asked with mock concern. Inside she felt that she had somehow lost a march on the other woman in the silent argument category so now she moved into the vocal one.

Dove smiled since she was ready for this. "A bit, but then," she said, "Now I've worked off enough energy to have a large meal tonight without repercussions to my figure, unlike some."

Eleonore looked at her hard. "What does that mean?" she asked levelly.

"Nothing," Dove said smiling.

Eleonore glared, "I thought so."

"Not yet at least," Dove said as she continued past the blond.

Louise surprised Eleonore by barking an open laugh before hurrying to get close to Dove's protective circle before the volcano erupted, Eleonore looked like she was about to burst.

Before Eleonore could unleash her furry, a person raced out of the academy and seized Dove by the arm.

"I need you," Tabitha said and then started dragging the baroness away from the surprised group. Said group could only look on as Dove looked back at them and gave a shrug before turning and disappearing into the academy building.

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Dove allowed Tabitha to pull her along the corridors as she pondered Tabitha's actions. She was a very quiet person who didn't take risks because it might endanger her mother back home, that much she knew so suddenly dragging her off before she had a chance to reconnect with Agnes was seriously out of character for her.

'What could push Tabitha to do this?' Dove wondered as Tabitha finally reached her own room and rushed through the door.

Stopping in the center of the room, Tabitha caught her breath and Dove walked over to the small desk and sat down heavily.

"Sorry," she said as she noticed that Tabitha again doing something out of character; fidgeting, "I'm just a little tired. What is it that you need me for?" she explained as worry built in her.

Movement could get you killed when you were facing down wild beasts in the wild. Tabitha had always acted as if she was facing down some kind of animal whenever she was in the company of others so this apparent restlessness could mean that she was comfortable with Dove there, or there was something bigger making her uncomfortable.

Dove was leaning towards the latter biased on how she was acting.

Tabitha took in a deep breath as she tried to force the words to come, and another. Finally, she sighed and let her skirt drop to the ground.

Dove's eyes widened and her jaw dropped like a skeever in a frostbite's cave.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Tabitha had a six-inch erect "Dagger" between her legs.

Dove guiltily felt warmth envelope her hips as her eyes grew wider.

"I, Ah, An explanation, please?" Dove managed as she shifted her hips, for some reason that made the warmth only get worse.

Tabitha nodded.

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Tabitha was reading a book while doing some light exercises. Walking up and back downstairs in a tower overlooking the entryway courtyard early in the morning before switching to hopping up and back down the same stairs for leg strength.

"DON'T WORRY SIESTA!" Tabitha paused on the steps to glance out the window. Outside there was what could be an amusing sight if it didn't involve one - two of her three closest friends.

Louise was being pulled by the hand while Dove was being dragged by the scruff of her dress by a tall blond woman while shouting back at a rather stunned looking Siesta.

"I'M GOING ON A SUDDEN ADVENTURE. IF I DON'T MAKE IT BACK TELL MY LOVER THAT SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE FOR ME!" Dove finished shouting back at the other maid while grinning widely.

Tabitha felt her lip twitch with a smile before she returned to hopping up the stairs. Dove would be alright if she was making jokes like that.

-[]-

Tabitha let the rest of the day pass while little to nothing worth noting happened. Kirche had complained about Louise and Dove disappearing on them for most of the noon meal, and the Musketeer captain had been upset at her charge disappearing, but nothing was overly wrong.

Drills were a little more nerve racking for the others when they noticed the dark expression on the captain's face.

It was about seven in the afternoon that something had felt off. Tabitha looked around the hall she was in at the time. Classes and drills were over so everyone was heading to dinner.

"Girly!" a voice Tabitha had heard before but couldn't quite place called out from a corner she was about to come up on.

Tabitha paused in her stride. She was in a rather large corridor, there was space for ten people to walk side by side down it but this walk way led to the boy's tower. Since the boys were gone, she was all alone in the hall.

At least she should have been alone.

The corner from where the voice that had called her was just ahead. Narrowing her eyes, Tabitha moved forward cautiously. There was always danger in times of war, even more so when you were in a place that you thought was safe.

Approaching the corner, Tabitha made sure that she made no sound as the tension in her gut grew. As the feeling of preparation reached its climax, Tabitha jumped into the open area with her staff leveled down the darker hall way and at the shadowed figure in it.

"Whose there!" Tabitha said in a loud clear voice instead of her usual quiet tone.

"There's nobody down here but us chickens!" the same loud rough voice of a man echoed down the hall to her as the guy took a few steps forwards into the light.

Tabitha wasn't amused but that didn't stop the guy from continuing.

"BUTT! The question is 'why chickenS,'" the guy cocked his head to the side as he looked at her, "Whenever you talk about chicken, they are either about to be eaten or trying to play dodge ball with cars! So WHY! Why are they just sitting in a room for this particular question?"

"Sheogorath," Tabitha identified the man warily, ignoring his confusing speech and mannerisms.

The man nodded, letting a grin that was arguable too large for his face appear. "EXactly! You know, an EX is some gal or bloke who you used to date right?" Tabitha didn't respond so the Daedric kept on gone, "and I don't remember every being in love with a miss Actly, so where do you think that word comes from?"

Tabitha shrugged. "Don't know," she said, "why are you here? Dove is gone."

The daedric prince of moderately-upset nodded, "I know. I'm looking for you, that's why I showed up in front of you duh," he explained the obvious in an annoyed tone.

Tabitha blinked and relaxed her stance a little bit. "Why me?" she asked.

Relaxing her stance was a mistake as Sheogorath suddenly swept a staff she hadn't seen at first out from behind his body and pointed it at her torso. "Because I have a gift for the lovely birdy. :) You did say that a lump of cheese wouldn't be a good thing to get her, :(" He mumbled the last sentence as if miffed at her, "remember?"

Tabitha hopped a short distance backwards to gain room between herself and the end of his staff.

There was something, some feeling of wrongness coming from the end of his staff that she didn't want pointed at her.

Coming to a stop Tabitha thrust her staff out wards, a burst of icicles forming just behind her ready to strike.

"THIS IS AWESOME!" the white-haired madman shouted as he swept his staff back around diagonally behind his back again.

"What was that?" Tabitha questioned darkly, that sense of 'wrong' was still there even though the staff no longer threatened her.

"Well, the gift for Pidgeotto is you," the god-thing said with a disturbingly calm tone. "Don't worry," he added as Tabitha narrowed her eyes, "It'll only last until it's task is done, so there's no risk of premature disappearing. After that you're goanna haft 'a ask for me to give you another one. Bye!" ;)

Tabitha couldn't demand what in the name of Brimir the nexus of chaos was talking about before it vanished to go curse some poor fool into changing gender somewhere else.

Tabitha slowly lowered her staff as the apparent danger vanished, as she did so the icicles behind her dropped to the ground to melt. Changing her stance from crouched-battle-ready, to normal-school-girl, Tabitha started moving off to dinner.

As soon as she rounded the corner at the end of the hall and was in the sight of other students, Tabitha felt something off. Her gait was slightly off, there was something in between her thighs.

Too late to check it out now without drawing attentions to herself, Tabitha continued to the meal instead of focusing on the strange sensation. She would have time later tonight.

The strange feeling between her legs persisted throughout dinner. The only difference was that there was some sort of tingle that almost caused her to moan at the table. Despite her self-control, Tabitha was sure that her face was bright red before the meal was over.

"Hey Tabby," Kirche said leaning down on her and feeling her head, "are you alright?"

Tabitha just nodded and stood up. "Need sleep," she said quickly and left the meal a little bit early.

Kirche looked after her in concerned confusion, 'Tabby simply doesn't act like this' she thought with a concerned expresion. 'Dependently going to visit her later tonight' she decided.

Tabitha felt another almost electrical tingle as she moved and the thing in her skirt shifted around.

That sounded wrong in her head. A sudden dark thought invaded her 'innocent' mind and Tabitha was immediately running; she didn't stop until she was in her own room.

As soon as she was in her room the door was slammed and the skirt dropped.

Tabitha was met with the sight of a healthy male appendage on her petite woman's frame.

"…"

Tabitha's face was calm. There was nothing, no eye's widening, no jaw dropping, and no screams to indicate the total panic that was exploding through her mind at that very second.

Moving to the bed side table, ignoring the swaying appendage, Tabitha retrieved her hand mirror and sat down on the bed to examine it.

After some awkward positioning (of both her mirror and her body) Tabitha was happy to find that she still did have a vagina that she hoped still functioned as normal, she just had a penis growing out of her body above it.

Taking a deep breath, Tabitha touched the rod. She needed to know what it would do, how it would react, when she touched it.

Tabitha clamped her teeth shut, biting softly on her lower lip but she was unable to stop low moan as her hands caused the appendage to become stiff under them. It was heavenly, dangerously addictive but still heavenly.

Before she realized just what she was doing, Tabitha had her dick in a death grip and was milking it for all it was worth. She didn't care about trying to silence her moans, they came out loud and clear as her hand sped up.

Throwing back her head, she lay flat out on the comfortable surface twisting and pulling on the appendage. Not to be out done, her natural sex organ started getting wet and her nipples stood at attention as well.

"Tabby are y-" Kirche's word died in her throat as she walked in on Tabitha.

She stared in mute shock as her best female friend gasped for breath and jerked away.

After a few moments, Tabitha gave a little cry and her dick expanded in her hand as she orgasmed.

The only down side was that nothing came out and she was left with a sense of being incomplete and unfulfilled from the lack of messy ejaculation.

Taking a moment to regain her breath, Tabitha sat upright on the bed and looked to the door.

"Don't you knock?" she asked as if the last half an hour of self-discovery hadn't happened.

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"Now, your help?" Tabitha asked the pale looking Baroness/maid/dragon/elf.

Dove looked at Tabitha's… manhood, she just couldn't look away at the odd and arousing sight. It wasn't the fact that what she was looking at was a penis that was making her hot and bothered, what was arousing was the fact that she was looking at Tabitha half nude.

The burning, wet feeling that she now had to admit to herself was total arousal caused her chest to ache. Dove longed to lead over and press her dampening womanhood against the other girl's body.

Sucking the desire down with a deep breath, Dove tried to relax. Then she took another deep breath and stopped starring since it was obviously making Tabitha uncomfortable.

"You said that nothing came out?" She asked awkwardly, "When you… ah, used it?"

Tabitha nodded. "It felt like there was something coming but that was stopped at the tip," she then added clinically, "later semen leaked out."

"So, it sounds like it's functional," Dove thought out loud to distract herself, "Sheogorath said it was a gift for 'Pidgeotto' and that it wouldn't disappear until it was done. Any idea who this 'Pidgeotto' is?"

Tabitha shook her head before adding, "sounds like pigeon."

"But why would Sheogorath give you a… manhood for a bird?" Dove asked incredulously, her words only tripping over direct mention of the girl's issue.

Tabitha thought for a moment. "I think he meant you," she concluded.

Dove was glad that she was sitting, her legs, and a bit more besides suddenly felt numb. "What do you mean?" she asked, she was filled with panic over what was happening but a small part of her was suddenly very happy.

"He talked about when I told him that cheese wasn't a good gift," Tabitha said simply, "Implying that this," she gestured down causing Dove's eyes to follower her finger tips, "was a gift for you."

Dove fidgeted as her panties started getting more than just a little damp. "Well," she said looking Tabitha in the eye, "I honestly have no idea what to do in this situation. What do you think we should do?"

Tabitha tilted her head. "We?" she asked looking at Dove. Tabitha was conflicted, she was used to doing things alone yet this was something totally out of both hers and Dove's depth. 'Why was she offering to help despite admitting to having no idea what to do?'

"Yes we," Dove said, "It was Sheogorath who did this. Apparently, he did this for me making it partially my responsibility. On top of that, you came to me for advice so I must help, and finally… you're my friend so I will."

Tabitha blinked as her friend blurted out the last reason without meeting her gaze.

"Alright, thanks" she said with a small nod. Internally Tabitha was relishing some feelings she hadn't felt this strongly in years; companionship and trust.

Dove smiled and Tabitha found herself wanting to smile back even though they still had no plan.

The door to her room then slammed open and a very angry Musketeer Captain Agnes marched in.

"YOU. VANISHED. ON. ME!" she shouted at Dove as soon as her eye's locked onto Dove. She advanced on the maid and ignored Tabitha.

"I'm sorry," Dove said before quickly adding, "It was more like I got kidnapped rather than vanished anyways but if you want to call it that."

Agnes froze two paces away from Dove before she rushed forwards and started examining Dove for any injury. "Kidnapped? What happened, where were you?" If her charge had been taken, then it would have been her fault.

"There was this woman, you'll see her soon enough since she's here at the academy, that was dragging miss Valliere back home to get hitched. On the way out she decided that she needed a maid for the trip back and literally dragged me off," Dove said with a wry grin.

"I'm uninjured and was returned when I told them that I was a Baroness with a job from the queen but that didn't happen until late at night so they asked me to stay the night, and now I'm back."

"I saw her get taken," Tabitha added forgetting her state of dress, "I can confirm."

Agnes looked at Tabitha to get her story. Then her eyes widened with shock and she stumbled back a step as her mouth worked soundlessly. Her gaze leapt from Tabitha's face, to her manhood, and then to Dove who was looking at her, watching her expressions in a very amused fashion.

"Ididn'ttouchit!" she suddenly shouted waving her hands as she tried to assure Dove of something.

Dove just tilted her head in confusion. "Touch what?" she asked as she tried to piece together what had made the woman panic.

"You said not to touch myself," Agnes moaned, she missed the look of surprise that flashed across the Baroness's face before turning into growing humor.

"And I haven't. So, there's no chance that one of those will grow between my legs is there? BRIMIR! Why didn't you know there might be a chance of something like this happening if I drank your potion!" She broke down and started hyperventilating after her long speech.

Dove let her favorite musketeer regain her breath before breaking out into helpless laughter.

Agnes looked at her as if she was crazy, here she was panicking over the apparently very real chance that she would grow a penis and all the damn woman could do was laugh!?

Catching her breath, Dove sat up and wiped tears from her eyes before they could fall. "Just so you know," she said, "firstly, I said not to get to 'into it' while pleasuring yourself."

Dove then frowned, "Secondly that 'advice' was total bull shit. Nothing will go wrong if you play with yourself. I made that advice up on the spot because I was angry and wanted to get under your skin. Finally, Tabitha's issue wasn't from the potion, so you can relax"

Agnes froze in astonishment as she gaped at the Baroness. "I'm sorry for worrying you about self-gratification," Dove said before hurrying to explain, "I was angry at you and said whatever I thought would make you the most uncomfortable and so I, you know, said that."

Agnes looked at Dove in consternation, but also with a hint of relief before she frowned. "But then, what happened to her?" Agnes asked looking at Tabitha.

Dove shook her head. "Per my people's religion, the explanation would be that she attracted the attention of one of the Daedrics and he or she caused her to grow a dick," Dove said, "Per your lands philosophy, 'no comment because we don't recognize the existence of any other god save Brimir.'"

Internally she added, 'the man who proved he wasn't a god by getting offed by elves but who was said to have created magic and gifted it to those who were 'worthy''

"So I won't grow one?" Agnes asked to be sure while ignoring Dove's apparent views on her religion.

"No," Dove assured her before adding, "And I would appreciate it if you were quiet about her condition since it's her body we're talking about."

Agnes looked at Tabitha as she picked her skirt off the ground.

"I can agree to that," she said thinking about how to scrub the awkward image out of her mind, "But from now on your going to have a guard."

"I don't think so," Dove said hotly, glad she had pulled attention away from Tabitha.

"Yes you are and that's final," Agnes said crossing her arms and getting ready for a fight.

* * *

 **Too fast?**

 **Too bad! :P**


	39. Chapter 39

**The room's only illumination is a candle on the low table in front of you.**

 **Sweat beads on your forehead as you pace forwards.**

 **On the table you see a paper with the dark one's seal.**

 **your breath catches for a moment before you tear the paper open in a frenzy of animal like eagerness.**

 **the words staring back at you however leave you totally confused.**

 **"I don't own Skyrim or Familiar of zero,**

 **and that' why I killed your mother.**

 **In a twist I'm also your father,**

 **And also,**

 **Your brother.**

 **Our family tree is really screwed up."**

* * *

 **xanothos: Yup.**

 **alexc123: I'm giving her all she's got captain!**

 **Guest000: I honestly couldn't think of a way to give Dove kids without adoption without giving someone a dick unless it was a complicated piece of magic or how Jessica came into being so 'add dick' was the easier option. I hate the rule of steel passionately.**

 **helkil: You only have to wait a week for my chapter, maybe a month until they get together, but only a week until the next chapter.**

 **RedBurningDragon: There might be another Pokemon reference soon. Was LOLing to Agnes while writing.**

 **XSDStitch: If someone asks I try to answer. Either way, he's entertained.**

 **amimai002:... I can't quite remember who Oglaf was, oh-well if it works.**

 **Akshka: NO ONE EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION! or my decision to give a girl a penis.**

 **The One True Slacker: True that.**

 **Guest: What ever, I don't care what you puny mortal thinks of me. ;P**

 **ForgottenGrimiore: Yup.**

 **slayst: Hopefully I won't loose to many. I was up almost every hour worriedly checking to see if someone had dropped my story after the last chapter.**

 **xCanaan: I'm very proud of three things from the last chapter; the rule of cast iron, introducing Futa, and Agnes. Thanks for commenting on all three.**

 **Boyzilla: Yup, please don't be broken for too long.**

 **link01742: Yay!**

 **Guest: Crap you're right, I need to hurry up or Sheo's going to start adding to my story!**

 **Zapper3000380: Hah, yes.**

 **Anthem of the Night: Or at least a stumped writer.**

 **Properdecay: Yes, it is and I'm proud of it.**

 **TheENDstyler: In time dear reader, in time.**

 **Dragonsong2795: Thank you. Then I don't know what could be the problem, maybe memory space? I'm not the go to tech around here.**

 **Guest: Are you repeating the same review every chapter?**

 **Belgarion42: I think Dove is hyper aware right now, imagine that your crush/wife/GF suddenly got five times hotter, that's how Dove feels. If it goes there then I will write about it, like I said before, this is the story of Dove's life, if the next chapter is straight out of a porn site... then I guess I'll have to write it or dance around the exact event while getting the story across. I think even she doesn't at times realize how hopeful she is for the answer to be "we screw."**

 **Rook115: Maybe.**

 **UNSC Know Your Place: Try turning it off and on again. I might have a citrus tree in the back somewhere.**

 **the Guest: Here, you can barrow mine.**

 **Touhou is Life: Really? I was thinking that Dove was the one who was too fast.**

 **perfectshade: Dove is basically hiding in plain sight so that's why I'm worried, if someone calls her out then they might discover more. Dove has respected those who earned it, sometimes just because you could feel their strength, simply put the careless "you should respect me because I'm noble" attitude has tainted every 'noble' in the land in her opinion, It's shortsighted stereotyping but she's basically given up on finding an outlier to this behavior.**

 **I wrote why I hate the rule of steel, that's why the points are so fine. The father doesn't really seem to be the power behind the throne of the family so that's why I wrote Karin using that misdirection. That was how I trained for Cross Country running so I added it. Thanks for catching the hints towards there being 'requirements', I was worried that would get lost. No, your not the only one who gets the irony.**

 **Guardoflight: Here it is.**

 **NacNak: Thank you, that means a lot.**

 **Shinoki: Plausibly~.**

* * *

Dove slammed a bag of flour onto the kitchen counter top before wiping the sweat from her forehead. Forty pounds wasn't much but since she didn't have her adventuring pack to distribute the weight it felt like a lot, especially with the stairs between here and the storage room.

Going to one end, the maid opened the bag to start the dough.

If only fixing Tabitha's problem was as easily as making cinnamon rolls.

Dove measured and laid out the flour and sugar while starting the milk and yeast on the stove to carefully heat up the mixture.

The problem was that she had no flipping clue on how to get rid of someone's appendages apart from cutting them off.

The image of Tabitha's bleeding, severed dick caused her to shudder with dread, as well as the imagined looks of pain and probably betrayal Tabby would have on her face.

Nope, extreme circumcision wasn't the answer.

That left studying the condition, which was useless. The only people she would trust with her lov- friends condition who might be able to help were the Daedrics or Aedra, but both of those groups lived in Skyrim and couldn't help her here without possibly causing the destruction of the world with their very presence.

'Maybe Sheogorath left a clue where he gave her that' she thought as she stirred everything together. 'If he did then it would have been cleaned up by now,' she realized before sighing in exasperation. There just didn't seem to be anything she could do.

As the dough was finally mixed, she set it aside to rise and plopped down on a chair in the busy kitchen to think. 'What about his ramblings?' Dove thought, 'maybe there was something helpful buried in all his ramblings.' Unable to think of a better idea now, Dove cast her mind back.

"BUTT! The question is 'why chickenS...Whenever you talk about chicken, they are either about to be eaten or trying to play dodge ball with cars! So WHY! Why are they just sitting in a room for this particular question?"

No help there, Dove decided.

"EXactly! You know, an EX is some gal or bloke who you used to date and I don't remember every being in love with a miss Actly, so where do you think that word comes from?"

Or there, he sounded like he was just enjoying the sound of his own voice.

"I know. I'm looking for you, that's why I showed up in front of you,"

That was somewhat helpful, at least now she was sure that Tabitha was the intended target.

"Because I have a gift for the lovely birdy. You did say that a lump of cheese wouldn't be a good thing to get her...remember?"

That was it, that line was partially helpful. Dove leaned back in the chair as she remembered the day Sheogorath had visited them both while meditating, she always knew that was going to bite her in the ass.

But why for the love of Nirn, did he give a 'gift' like that to Tabitha?

Did something she did attract his attention?

Now her thoughts were on when Sheo visited them. The only thing she might have done was insult cheese, and that did fit with what he had said, but even he wouldn't use the Wabbajack for something as simple as an insult to dairy.

She then sweat dropped at her own thoughts, 'then again, he just might.' She straightened up and shook her head, maybe his parting words have more information.

"Well, the gift for Pidgeotto is you...Don't worry...It'll only last until it's task is done, so there's no risk of premature disappearing. After that you're gonna hafta ask for me to give you another one. Bye!"

'That line was helpful,' she decided, 'only last until it's task is done. Why did he say that? What task could Tabitha need a-'

Dove suddenly chocked on thin air as her mind came up with several situations where Tabby's new appendage would be useful. She shook her head to clear the thoughts, Tabitha probably wouldn't want someone like her. She was in a royal family; she was quiet and blended into the background to survive while she stood out like splash of blood on the snow.

Martone looked at the other chef in worry as she regained her breath. She looked flushed and sad he decided, had been since her impromptu trip a few days ago, maybe she should go lay down. 'Anyone whose sick shouldn't be in the kitchen' he thought looking at a woman in a musketeer uniform watching the assistant chef, she to had some kind of sniffle.

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Outside, the students were still practicing drills, the only difference was that now they were now very sullen about it.

Agnes had apparently decided that they couldn't be trusted to form their own partners without fighting over the only guy in the apparent world like a pack of rabid dogs, so the girls were all standing in a large square with room around them so that they could wield their poles without hurting anyone.

"Strike!" Michel called causing all the girls to thrust their staffs.

"En garde!" She shouts and the girls draw back to a slightly sloppy defensive stance. They were getting better but they haven't been given the time to make the stance instinctual.'

"Strike!"

"En garde!"

"Strike!"

This call/response occurred over and over under the watchful eye of the musketeer force as they sought to correct flaws in the student's stances.

About an hour into the drills, a musketeer moved up to talk to Agnes. Agnes then moved forwards as if to address the mages. Seeing her captain approach, Michel called a halt.

"Some of you," Agnes said while looking mostly at Montmorency, "Have requested to learn practical magic." The group all apparently remembered when Montmorency had been manhandled by the captain judging by the looks on their faces.

"We have decided to honor that request," Agnes said as if the words were only killing part of her soul instead of all of it; progress.

"For that purpose we have brought in a special teacher from the National Magic Academy," Agnes gave a small gesture to her side as a woman came forwards.

Louise looked up and her jaw dropped. "Sister," Standing on the field in front of them was her older sister Cattleya.

"Hello," her kind sister said with a beautiful smile. Louise and much of the class felt as if the sun was shining extra hard on their backs. "I'm Cattleya de La Fontaine. I hope we can work well together," Cattleya said with another smile.

Louise felt that this day couldn't get any better.

Fate apparently agreed that couldn't get any better, so it had to get worse.

"And this is my assistant," Cattleya said mimicking Agnes small side gesture.

The woman that walked forwards was almost equally beautiful in a sharp kind of way.

To the others, this was incredible, two magic teachers were just what they had been praying to Brimir for, For Louise it was as if the sun had vanished and she was freezing over.

"I am Eleonore de La Valliere," Eleonore introduced herself. The crowd was stunned; this beautiful woman was the zero's sister? They all shot the pink haired girl a look that happened to be caught by Eleonore. Internally she took it as a sign that her suspicions about Louise's standing amongst her peers to be true.

"We won't have long to be together," Cattleya said, "so let's work together and have a good time with it, Okay?"

Louise groaned as Julio leaned over. "Those are your sisters?" he asked with a glance up front, "they seem nice."

Louise held back a bark of laughter. "Sometimes," she said forlornly.

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After the cinnamon rolls were set out to cool down, Dove left to find Louise. She quickly grabbed a broom on the way out and would pause in her search to sweep the odd corner as she went, it kept her moving and people from asking her to do stupid errands.

Coming down the hallway, Dove found a room with several large baskets and carry cases piled up around the door. She remembered that this was where the blond menace had made its stinking lair. On a completely unrelated note, she still wasn't on good terms with Eleonore.

"-o Queen Henrietta personally requested my assistance at this school to help train the students." Dove heard a familiar voice coming from the room next to it. Dove suddenly had a grin on her face, her letter to Henrietta had apparently gone through.

Dove felt like doing a small dance for when that thought had occurred to her. A few days ago, Dove had sent a letter to the Queen asking for Cattleya to come keep an eye on her sister. Louise was capable of caring for herself but the blond troll had started to hang over her like a bad cloud, she felt that the youngest Valliere could use a hand.

She paused for a second in her revelry as she realized that she had tectonically given an order to the queen and had it obeyed. Dove shook her head in confusion, 'why did she help? Was it to help her friend or was it because I asked?'

Dove shrugged and decided that it didn't matter, maybe it was a bit of both. The point was that Louise now had someone else helping her out at the academy. She started moving closer to the door to get a better position from which she could hear them.

"She did?" The voice this time was Louise's so at least Dove now knew where the one she was looking for had ended up.

"Why didn't she ask me?" came a third voice that informed Dove of where the blond troll was there as well.

"Apparently," Cattleya informed the eldest Valliere daughter as Dove crept closer, "someone told the Queen that our family, particularly you, had tried to take one of her 'operatives' away from their duty to make her get married."

Louise suddenly gave a suppressed yelp and Eleonore's voice suddenly growled out in anger, "I wonder who could have done that. I really wonder who it was."

Dove stood straight from her crouch and walked purposefully into the room.

"It wasn't me," Louise said although her voice was rather distorted by her sister grabbing her cheek and pulling on it until it was starting to bruise.

"Maybe it was someone who just happened to be an innocent victim of the same blond troll who wanted to steal the young maiden," Dove said as she marched farther into the room, advancing on the two.

She ignored everything in the room including Cattleya's adorable pets that had gathered around her feet as she moved towards the sisters who had been talking.

Eleonore looked back without bothering to let go of her sister's cheeks. "You!" she said as she took in who had interrupted her interrogation.

Dove smiled mockingly as she moved to stand just in front of Eleonore, "Me, now are you going to let go of her?"

Eleonore dropped Louise's cheeks as she turned to look at the Baroness. "So," she began, "you sent the message to the Queen?"

Dove nodded, "I was just passing something along and decided to mention your kidnapping of myself and young Louise. Since it had interfered with our duties to the crown, I felt that it was worth mentioning."

Again, it had been more for Louise's safety but the blond troll didn't need to know that.

Eleonore looked at her with a sharp expression, "Why did you bring my youngest sister into this?"

Dove shrugged, "because I needed to, she was the initial inspiration for the aim of this project."

Eleonore was hating how vague The Baroness was.

"What could be so important that the queen needs the two of you working on it yet simple enough for my sister to actually be helpful on?" She asked instead of letting her anger show.

Louise looked down and Cattleya frowned at how her sister had phrased her question.

Dove leaned in her expression open and mocking, "wouldn't you like to know. I don't have to tell you and you can't interfere with something this important to the queen without knowing exactly how you might affect the project, yet you're only at this academy to interfere with her life. It must be hard for you seeing how I've cockblocked your very reason to be here."

Mocking her might not be the smartest thing to do now but Dove knew Eleonore couldn't do anything right now.

Eleonore didn't respond. The Baroness was disgustingly right in the fact that she couldn't interfere with whatever project the queen had the Baroness and her sister working on, but she needed to keep her safe as well.

Dove stood upright again after a moment. "It's a project that's important to the queen. That's all you'll know until I say otherwise," she said with a smile, "now, I have things to do and maybe you should find something productive apart from hurting your sister from now on."

Dove moved towards the door. "Come on Louise," she called over her shoulder.

Louise didn't look at her sister as she moved around her and woodenly marched out.

Eleonore looked after the two until Cattleya grabbed her attention. "What was that about?" she asked, "why were you so upset about someone sending a letter to the Queen?"

Eleonore scrutinized her sister. Cattleya's face was set in a rather determined expression that Eleonore simply wasn't used to seeing on her little sister, finally she caved.

"I don't want Louise fighting in this war," Eleonore said in a defeated tone.

Cattleya raised an eyebrow in confusion before realization appeared on her face and she sighed. "I don't want Louise in this war either," she said as she sensed Eleonore's intentions, "but if you're trying to sabotage her chances of going then you'll only make things worse."

Eleonore defended herself, "I'm not just trying to stop her." Cattleya looked at her older sister in a way that demanded answers. "The plan that mother and I came up with is this," Eleonore said laying out what she and their mother had decided on during their nighttime meeting.

"I'm going to spend my time watching over her, evaluating her skills and insuring that she has the connections with the other students to receive proper, protective, companions during the conflict if she gets sent to the frontline."

Eleonore shivered at the possibility, "I've sent a letter to Mr. Gramont, who was a student in her year, and he has agreed to look after her if he can but that's only one person, I need to get more that she might actually end up with to keep her safe."

Cattleya looked at her as if she was being stupid. "Wouldn't a dragon familiar be just as capable as a group of companions?" she asked with deliberate slowness.

Eleonore nodded. "But she can't stay with her familiar forever," she pointed out, "I needed to ensure that she would have companions at all times."

"Sister," Cattleya said in an exasperated tone, "Louise is a good mage, if she can blast fire at dinner without a wand then I'm sure she could protect herself."

"We needed to be sure," Eleonore said defiantly, "even the best can be beaten by numbers and when they become foolish."

"Are you saying that Louise is foolish?" Cattleya asked.

"She might become over confident," Eleonore said, "part of my task is to ensure that she don't become over confident."

Cattleya sighed as she realized just what her sister had been planning. "She would hate you forever if you interfere with her training," Cattleya said looking at the ceiling, "and Baroness Bosquet will fight against any form of interference you try to pull on our sister. I feel like she's looking out for our sister better than we are at times."

Eleonore's eyes suddenly burned with fire as she hissed, "That damn Baroness! If she hadn't been there I could have kept Louise safe at home."

Cattleya felt that it would be best to let her sister blow off some steam.

Eleonore obliged her silent sister's permission. "Not only did she have to throw the undisputable fact that a person in the service of the queen can't be kept from their task, she had the audacity to laugh about my current relationship status."

Eleonore closed her eyes and trembles slightly with rage as she continued, "She should know her place, a Baroness is nowhere near a Duchess in standing. So why does she have the power to get a message to the Queen of all people? On top of that, her state of dress is simply unbecoming of anyone with any nobility, even if she is on the lowest rung of the social ladder."

Cattleya felt like her sister was either reaching her peak or starting to wind down.

"Now she's putting the idea that because Louise can shoot fire without a wand that she should join the front line of a war and most likely die!"

Eleonore opened her eyes and turned the trembling into a march as she paced the floor. "I bet that when Louise gets hurt she won't be there for her."

Cattleya sighed softly, exasperated with her sister, she was such a worry wort when it came to Louise, even if she did go about it in a wrong way.

Eleonore started to wind down from her anger but didn't let it go. "I simply won't let her get hurt, I plan on either being there or have someone I trust being there for her, I don't trust that upstart Baroness to do that."

Eleonore locked eyes with her sister. "Please don't stop me from doing this," she asked her little sis.

Cattleya looked at her sister in calm understanding. "I see," she said looking her sister over. She truly did understand. "I will help you look after Louise," Eleonore smiled triumphantly, "but I will also ask Baroness Bosquet for help."

Eleonore lost her smile and jerked at the mention of the Baroness. "W-what? WHY!?" she spluttered indignantly.

"Simple," Cattleya said, "the problem with your plan is that you want to do it alone making you 'the enemy' to Louise. If you just go up and talk to Bosquet then I'm sure that you can get her to help you."

Eleonore huffed, "I don't think I need her. I can watch out for Louise by myself perfectly fine." She crossed her arms and lifted her chin to turn her already slim eyes into a natural disdainful expression.

Cattleya just looked at her sister for a moment before her face melted into a smile. "Just think about it," she said, "It can't hurt anything except your ego to try. Which is more important; Ego or Louise?"

Eleonore just looked at her sister to show that she was unmoved by her words before leaving to finish unpacking her belongings while Cattleya kept that knowing smile on her face until she was gone.

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Dove was walking back to the kitchens from the airship. She had just spent an hour going over the different controls with Siesta to explain what they did and how their actions affected the craft in flight.

It was a very interesting time for the two girls, Siesta felt like she was almost reliving her grandfather's life while Dove took the time to subtly check out this strange ability of hers. She could somehow understand anything in the airship just like she had understood the staff of destruction.

Maybe it was that she could only understand things that weren't from this land originally, like herself.

Dove shook the mildly saddening thoughts before smiling and focusing on the positive side of things. Today had been fun, the two of them were making steady progress on learning how to fly together. They might be ready to try a mock run in a week or so, they both were still a little nervous about using the aircraft in the air.

Dove was used to flying but that was under her own power or another dragon's power, to put her hands in some _thing_ else instead of one of those two options was a bit frightening to her. Siesta was nervous because she hadn't flown before, she didn't want to mess up and possibly die or destroy her grandfather's old airship.

Both girls had decided that they would try mock flying on the ground in a few days before they even thought of going in the air.

Dove pushed open the doors to the academy and was nearly ran over by Kirche of all people.

"Whoa there," Dove said putting out a hand as Kirche jerked to a stop only an inch from touching each other. "What has you in such a rush?" she asked the flushed red head.

"Sorry Dove," Kirche said as she took a step back, "I was looking for you actually."

Dove's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Really?" she asked surprised, "Why are you looking for me?"

"It's Tabitha," Kirche said looking around for any signs that someone was nearby. It was early afternoon so most people were at drills about now and the hall was empty.

"Is this about her, sudden physical addition?" Dove asked carefully, also looking around the hall.

Kirche breathed a sigh of relief, now she didn't have to break the news to Dove herself, she hadn't been sure if the maid had known.

"So you know about it," she said simply. Dove nodded and Kirche moved over the most embarrassing part of the conversation, straight to the most important part. "What can we do about it?" She had no idea and was hoping that Dove did.

Her hopes were dashed when Dove shook her head, "I have no idea, I simply can't figure out what Sheogorath planning when he… 'added' to Tabitha." She knew what she wanted it to have been for, but wasn't sure if Tabitha would want to or even be okay between the two of them.

Kirche frowned, confusion evident on her face and in stance, "I thought Sheogorath was some kind of mad god person, what makes you think he had any kind of plan?"

Dove's smirk was rather bitter, "When he talked to Tabitha he sounded like he was planning something. Maybe just some kind of twisted entertainment for himself but he was planning something."

Kirche sighed, dealing with these 'Daedrics' was tiring. "Couldn't you ask him what he's planning?" She asked, it was said that Brimir heard their prayer so why couldn't Dove pray to Sheogorath for answers? She seemed to be on good terms with him.

"I might have been able to if I was still in Skyrim," Dove said sadly thinking about a certain beggar in solitude, "but here, I don't know how to get his attention.

Kirche noticed that her friend's mood had become a little somber. "Dove, what's wrong?" She asked looking concerned and tilting her head.

"I was just a little upset because I was thinking about home," Dove admitted, "I was thinking about it before we started talking and was upset that I couldn't just go ask one of the Daedrics outright about Tabitha, I was rather respected or feared because I was the only daughter of Akatosh so I might have gotten the information there but here, I simply don't know" She gave a defeated shrug.

Kirche smiled in an uplifting way. "You know," she said as she smiled, "I find it rather incredible of you that you're helping us."

"I would help any of my friends," Dove said but before she finished talking Kirche was shaking her head.

"I was talking about the fact that you stuck here in this land and have been helping people like Louise, Siesta, and Tabitha," Kirche clarified.

Dove snorted, "it's not like I have a sure-fire way to get home anyways, the closest is a possible second home in my father's realm, and I've always liked to help people so this is natural for me."

"Helping would be defending Siesta from count Mont, not teaching her how to use that flying dragon thing," Kirche said solemnly, "helping would be teaching Louise to use magic, not creating a potion so that anyone can become a mage."

Dove was feeling a little uncomfortable by having her accomplishments reiterated to her.

"Creating the potion was the only way I could think to help Louise," she claimed feeling her face heat up just a bit.

"But no one else needed to know about it," Kirche said intently, "teaching Tabitha and me was literally because you're nice. That is what I admire about you."

Dove couldn't say anything to that and so just shrugged.

"So I think it's time someone helped you," Kirche announced with a gleam in her eye.

Dove blinked. "What?" she asked. There was something about Kirche's attitude, or maybe it was her eager pose, that put her on edge.

"I have decided to help you make long lasting connections to people around here," Kirche said with a brilliant smile. "You did say that you didn't have a good way to get home so it might be a while before you go home," Kirche reasoned, "so you need some long-term friends, of both genders and nationalities."

"I already have friends, thanks," Dove said perplexed, "like you and Louise and Tabitha."

"You have three friends who are girls, and one from three of the five countries. That's a start," Kirche said as she maneuvered towards her hidden agenda, "What about the other two?"

Dove snorted, "the only good people I met from either of those lands was prince Wales and he bit the dirt to soon."

"We have someone from Romalia who could fill that requirement," Kirche innocently thought out loud.

Dove snorted again, "right, Mr. flirt-priest."

"Well," Kirche was thinking out loud again, "he is from another country, that's one requirement, and he would be a guy which is something you don't have as a friend."

Dove frowned and then suddenly narrowed her eye's. "Why are you suddenly wanting to help me find friends?" she asked suspicion suddenly hanging over the both girls.

"Because I want to," Kirche said honestly, "I was thinking recently about everything you've done for me and my friends and I decided that I should help you find some companionship of your own as my way of giving back."

"You're being a match maker," Dove accused the Germolian.

"Of course not!" Kirche said in an offended tone of voice.

"Yes you are," Dove said with a huff, "I don't need your help finding someone for 'companionship'."

"So you already have someone you're seeing?" Kirche asked, playfully intent.

Dove was suddenly very hot, "NO, I'm not being courted or anything like that, I'm not really interested by that right now." In the privacy of her mind an image of one however did pop up only to be shaken away.

Kirche however wasn't going to let it rest at that. "There's someone you're interested in, isn't there? I noticed that you said you weren't being courted, not that there wasn't someone who interested you."

Dove, to her growing shame, found that it was harder to lie about her wanted relationships than anything else. "No, there isn't anyone at the academy who interests me," she denied.

Kirche on the other hand could see the lie and smirked. "I see~," she said in a long drawn out tone that shouted her disbelief in Dove's words.

"Just drop the topic," Dove said looking for anything else to pull her attention. "Oh my, look at the time, I think I need to make cinnamon rolls for desert tonight," Dove said despite knowing that she made them that morning.

Kirche smiled like a cat that was watching a mouse. "Alright Dove," she purred without any subtlety, "I guess I should let you escape to the kitchens for now, ta ta~."

Dove was gone before Kirche had finished talking, or laughing good humoredly at her retreat.

Neither girl noticed the third girl listening to them. Around the corner, Tabitha leaned over to let one eye see around the bend.

For some reason, both of her hands were occupied trying to contain the erection she had gotten when Kirche teased Dove about her relationships.

* * *

 **Somethings in the air.**

 **Maybe lust.**

 **(or Snipern0sniping's** **pizza is returning to life again)**

 **NINE DAMN IT I THOUGHT YOU HAD LEFT!**

 **(Got sloppy writer, I never get lost.)**


	40. Chapter 40

**This chapter is a little late.**

 **I'm sure some of you noticed.**

 **The reason for that is...**

 **I'M IN SWEEDENNNNN!**

 **International flight to another continent!**

 **My jet lagging head hurts sooo much.**

 **Familiar of Zero belongs to someone else**

 **As Does Skyrim**

 **I just put the two in a blender and served the mush.**

* * *

 **Shinoki: ya, logic hurts sometimes.**

 **RedBurningDragon: It escalated the proper amount :P.**

 **Guest: It's almost too awkward to just talk about so most people leave it be.**

 **The One True Slacker: Both have an idea, but don't quite know if the other wants to.**

 **UNSC Know Your Place: Come on Tulio we will follow the trail, _What trail?_ The Trail, that we blaze!**

 **alexc123: That's why I wrote her like that, thanks.**

 **link01742: Lemons are in debate, I just don't know if I can write them well enough and don't want to mess my story up by trying and failing.**

 **helkil: Mind. Out. Of. Gutter. Unless you have more specific ideas :}.**

 **Boyzilla: Boy, body, fade maybe?**

 **Guest: I'm sure you just say that every time I post.**

 **Touhou is Life: Please pull helkil out of the gutter before you leave. ;}**

 **Gunre the Swedish Spartan: Depends~.**

 **NacNak: I don't think anyone has flown that plane since she can turn into a dragon.**

 **impatientfan: you're only on chapter one! you have some catching up to do before you can review my glorious self about hurrying up ;P**

 **TheENDstyler:... I don't know, I'm not to confident about writing a harem for either genders.**

 **Guest: What am I writing that might get my story banned? I don't think I've gone over board exept that one time that got taken down.**

 **perfectshade: I don't think we need to worry about it too much. I was actually thinking about how quickly the Queen moved to help over a single letter, Dove was surprised by that. The problem with living in snow is that you sometimes set yourself fire for warmth, Dove is doing that now.**

 **Cattleya was the eye of a storm in her family in my opinion so she can watch the fighting and see how both Dove and her family are stirring up issues. Dove really didn't have a set home in Skyrim in my opinion, she was on the road to often for true homesickness to be created.**

 **I'm also not sure about writing lemons because I don't think I could do it well.**

 **Mangahero18: If you're not offering or suggesting someone then please refrain from reviewing like that. I know I would be better with someone else checking it over but I simply don't have anyone right now.**

* * *

"Dum Da Da, Dum Da Da, Muhur~har~," Dove hummed to herself as she kneaded the cookie dough.

The song she was starting to hum/sing to herself was one of the first ones she had learned at the bards' collage and was maybe the most well-known ballade in the land of Skyrim.

Dove could hear the instruments, deep drums and other voices, accompanying her voice as it gained momentum in her head.

She knew this song in two different languages and could hum the entire thing start to finish with perfect pitch. Traveling was often boring so whenever she was as board on the road as she was now, Dove would sing to herself in her head but usually she wouldn't last too long before she was singing out loud, not really caring if she was humming, or using Dovahzul in her song simply because she could.

"Hum Hur HAR HUM HUR HAIE!, aaaaaaAAAAAAAAAH!~

Dragonborn~, Dragonborn~, by his honor is sworn~, To keep evil forever at bay

Ahrk fin norok paal graan fod nust hon zindoro zaan,

Dragonborn, for your blessing we pray~!"

Her song on the roads were often brave battle hymns, and she had found that she had a talent for that type of songs. This one was low, almost guttural but seemed to fill the kitchen where she was working. Martone looked over at her table as he minced a large carrot for the salad he was preparing.

Dove would on occasion fascinate the kitchen with her lovely voice at random times during her work day, it was something that many of the staff had looked forward to, causing a few to trade and scheme for the chance to be in the kitchen when she decided to let her voice loose.

"Hearken now Kul do od, Wah aan bok long age, and the tale boldy told

DO FIN GEIN~!"

While he was more than happy to get to hear Dove's voice drive away the monotony of his task, Martone was a little confused by todays chosen song. She didn't seem to stay on topic, 'What are all those strange words?" he half thought half asked the thin air.

The other servers in the kitchen around him didn't seem to know either but still enjoyed the song anyways.

"Who was kin to both wyrm and the races of man,

With a power to rival the sun~.

When brothers wage war come unfurled. Alduin, Bane of kings,

ancient shadow unbound with a hunger to swallow the world~!"

Dove's eyes closed and she thumped her head to an invisible drum as her hands ran on auto piolet, spreading the dough.

Everyone in the room shivered as at least one aspect of Dove's song registered with them, War. None of those in the kitchen wanted anything to do with the war now but Dove was bringing it up in a way that most couldn't ignore.

"But a day shall arise~!

When the dark dragon's lies,

Will be silenced forever and then~!

Fair Skyrim will be free from bein Alduin jot~!"

Doves voice was rising in volume and pitch towards the climax, causing some of the listeners to finally pause in their individual tasks around the kitchen.

"Dragonborn~, Dragonborn~,

By his honor is sworn~,

To keep evil mahfaeraak ahst vaal!

Ahrk fin norok paal graan~

When they hear triumph's shout~,

Dovahkiin, fah hin kogaan mu draal~!"

The last line faded from the room Dove opened her eyes and checked the thickness of the dough, it was just right for cookies. Reaching out, Dove picked up a cup and upturned it to start cutting out circles.

"What song was that?" asked Agnes from where she sat on the on the end of the table watching Dove work. She hadn't moved her eyes from the working Baroness during the song but now scanned the room to check if there had been any changes since the last time she had checked.

"It's a rather well known song back home," Dove said idly as she cut out a few more cookies, "I can sing it in both this language and in Dovahzul, the language of dragons that it was originally known in."

Agnes shifted to get a look around the back side of the of the room. When Dove had returned from Valliere manor, they had argued for what must have been thirty minutes that had resulted in the placement of a rotating guard on the baroness.

They were supposed to stay mostly out of sight and out of her honey briar wax, (as Dove put it while she leveled Agnes with a _look_ ) only to interfere if something was wrong, but the level of interfering was up to the person.

Dove had made it easy for the guard, for about ten minutes before being herself.

"I could tell, you kept shifting into some strange guttural language," Agnes informed her sardonically, it was her turn to stand guard over the Baroness and even she found the task as annoying as the others had.

Dove perked up, "Thanks. It took me a long time to learn all the words of the language."

Agnes shook her head as Dove deliberately missed the intent of her words. "I would have preferred to be able to understand all the words of that song," she said instead of what was really on her mind.

Dove just smirked at the captain and started rerolling the dough for more cookies.

"What was that song about Dove?" Martone asked from his spot in the kitchen. All of Dove's songs were beautiful things to hear, but even though he couldn't understand the words, that one had obviously meant something important to her.

"It is the tale of the Dragonborn," She said glad that her back hid her face from Martone and that her hair hid her cheeks from Agnes. Singing a song about herself sometimes made her feel like she was boasting and instead of delighting in the words she often felt like she had been kind of arrogant when it was done.

"The story is in the song. In the verses, the Dragonborn will come during a time of civil war and defeat the dragon of the Apocalypse, Alduin," Dove summed up quickly.

Agnes raised an eyebrow, "really?"

"Yup," Dove said popping the 'P'.

"Odd song," Agnes said dismissively.

Dove suddenly snarled, something ignited in her and she felt the need to defend her song against these Joor now. Contrary to just a moment ago, she felt the need to boast of herself.

"It tells of the Dragonborn, the one who at first fought the civil war, then dragged both side's leaders to a summit halfway through it to tell them to pipe down, shut up, and wait for a few days while she fought the black dragon at the top of the highest."

Dove sucked in a breath, "mountain in all of Skyrim where he was wounded and had to retreat to the realm of the dead only to find that the Dragonborn had captured and rode his top lieutenant to a portal that led into Sovngarde where the Dragonborn met up with three heroes of the past to defeat the dragon in glorious combat."

Agnes was staring at the calming down Dove with an uninterested, neutral expression. In the background, Martone edged away from the gathering storm, two women, until he was as far as he could get while still working at his chopping block.

"Alright?" Agnes asked, confusion coming to the forefront on her face as the Baroness's behavior doesn't make sense to her. 'Dove hadn't blown up like that since she got mad and gave me the potion, why did she do that now over a song?' She wondered.

"It's a very important song to those of us who lived through the events," Dove finished with a disdainful sniff, possibly answering the Musketeer's thoughts. Standing up sharply, Dove moved towards the oven to slide the cookies in. As she turned around, Dove noticed something.

Everyone in the kitchen had their eyes on her.

"It's a very important song to those of us who lived through the events," Agnes repeated, "you actually lived through that?" everyone else in the room was apparently just as interested to know.

Dove never really spoke about Skyrim apart from mentioning that it was a beautiful, cold, place to live. The staff was interested in knowing more.

Dove nodded, "yes. The civil war was only a year or so ago. Many people have claimed to see the Dragonborn around different holds in Skyrim for one reason or another since then."

"Really?" Agnes asked, "what does she look like?" She remembered Dove saying that the dragonborn was a 'she' only a few moments ago.

Dove blinked before casting her mind around for an appropriate response. "Well," She thought quickly, "even though the term 'Dragonborn' is a respected Nord term, the 'last Dragonborn' as she's known, is a Bosmer."

Agnes blinked in surprise as she took that little bit of information in. "A Bosmer?" she repeated.

Dove grinned, "Yup," she popped the 'P' again.

The rest of the kitchen staff didn't seem to understand why the word 'Bosmer' seemed to make the stern musketeer with the large gun seem irritated and twitchy, but they decided it would be better not to know.

"I can't believe that you have a song praising one of those people," Agnes said with a dark look.

"I can't believe that you believe in a god who got himself offed thus proving that he wasn't a god to begin with," Dove smiled, her response hit a subject as sore and precious to Agnes as being Bosmer was to her.

Everyone in the kitchen looked decidedly uncomfortable as Agnes glared at the smiling Dove.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

"I think you pull the stick in front of you towards you to turn the ship up," Dove commented to Siesta.

They had finally gotten to the point where Siesta was in the front seat and shifting around the controls that the two of them had figured out controlled the ship.

Simply put they were flying on the ground for now.

"I got it," Siesta said as she grabbed the rod between her legs and pulled towards her hips.

Dove shook her head, she really needed to stop thinking in innuendos, but Tabitha's condition was distracting her and not letting her think in any other manor event in her life right now. She was stuck thinking about her friends condition and that in turn was influencing her word choice.

Siesta flicked a switch on the front of the board facing her before sighing. "I think that this training session would go much smoother if you tell me what's on your mind," she said looking at Dove.

Dove blinked, "Something on my mind? There is nothing on it right now but plans on how to train you to fly."

"I can tell that's not entirely true," Siesta said boldly, inside she was worried about being so direct with Dove, but it wasn't right for her to take Dove's time if whatever it was is so important that it took Doves mind away from here and now.

Dove considered Siesta's determined eyes. The human maid wasn't going to give this up easily she decided despite the hint of nervousness she saw in their depths. "it's just that someone came to me with a problem, I would be breaking her trust by discussing it with someone else without talking to her first," Dove said firmly.

Siesta blushed and looked down, away from Dove. "I see, it's not my place to know," She said sadly.

"Don't make it out like that," Dove said quickly, "It's just not my place to talk about it. I'm just… lost on what to do for her but I'm the only 'expert' on the area of magic that her problem comes from."

"The professors can't help?" Siesta asked trying to be helpful.

Dove frowned, she hadn't thought about asking others for help.

'Well,' she corrected herself, 'I hadn't thought to ask them about Sheogorath's addition because they might not be able to help me with figuring out how he gave Tabitha a diair- appendage. But… they might be able to help her get used to it until then.'

"Thanks Siesta," Dove said when she realized that she had been lost in her thoughts for about ten seconds and was starting to worry the maid, "you just gave me an idea to at least minimize the problem. I couldn't think of anything but that might work."

"Glad to help," Siesta said with a slightly lost smile as she tried to figure out just what she had said that was so helpful.

"So," Dove brought herself out of her thoughts and back to the present, "Now we need to bank to the right and go down. What do we do to accomplish that?"

Siesta looked at the rod, "I push the control stick to the right and forwards, while pulling back on the speed lever here," she touched a small lever on her left side, "it will turn the vessel on its side and then upside down as I end up diving straight down."

Dove smiled in satisfaction, she should be able to fly this thing in two weeks' tops now.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Tabitha looked at Dove from her spot on the bed. This was getting out of hand she realized. Every time that she moved in any motion, even a normal walk, the rubbing on her body would start to excite the unwanted appendage added to her.

Worse, it seemed to sense whenever Dove was around and it would get 'up' all the quicker like when she had overheard her talking to Kirche.

Tabitha couldn't understand why it seemed to get hard easier around Dove, but she thought it might have to do with the fact that she was from the same land as the being who had created it.

Similar magicka interacting with each other or something like that. She nodded to herself to solidify that thought, but a smaller, almost unnoticed part, seemed to disagree with her decision.

Shifting again, she tried to hide the bump in her skirts.

"I think we need to tell one of the male teachers about this," Dove said opening an eye, breaking her meditation on the matter, to look at Tabitha.

Tabitha frowned, "why?"

"Well, we don't exactly know what's supposed to happen with... _That_ , what if there's something wrong with it? What if it's unhealthy?" Dove said worriedly, "I've seen you with an almost pained expression every now and then, if it hurts then we should have someone who knows more about how it's supposed to function look at it."

Tabitha looked reflective for a moment, she wasn't thinking about wither or not to talk to a professor, or even better, they talk to one of the nurses. Tabitha's thoughts were on how Dove had noticed her discomfort. The pain came when her thing was hard for a long time and finally relaxed later.

She was privately proud of her blank expression, it had saved her from many searching nobles in Gallia, where some expressions could be a sign of weakness in court. How had Dove noticed her pain through it?

"It's alright if you don't want to," Dove said as the silence started to stretch, "If you're uncomfortable talking about this with anyone asides from me then we don't have to, I can keep working on the problem by myself if that's the case."

Tabitha shook her head slowly before admitting, "We need help. We should talk to a nurse."

Dove nodded, glad that Tabitha saw it that way. "I hadn't thought of a nurse," she admitted, "do you think she would be able to help us?"

"Better than a teacher could," Tabitha said with decisive nod.

"So, do you think we should go talk to her tonight or tomorrow?" Dove asked, all their mediations happened before bed so the nurse would probably be getting ready for, or already in, bed herself, it was rather late after all.

"Tomorrow," Tabitha said with a nod.

"Tomorrow then," Dove said before she returned to a more privet mediation.

{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}

Joy was the academes nurse, she had been healing the various aches, bruises, and the occasional mutilated explosion victim. Fortunately for her, today was going to be easy. Toady she just had filing to do.

Yawning, Joy paused in her work and stretched that last bit of sleep from her arms before she returned to updating her records, compiling the careful notes she had been keeping for years. She frowned at the piles of paper, they seemed to be telling her that this last year had more accidents of the explosive kind then all the years combined.

She should take note of that when she made the list of needed supplies to give to the headmaster for next year.

"Hello? Nurse Joy?" called a young woman's voice from the entrance to her hospital room.

Joy frowned as she looked out her office door towards the entrance, it was rather early in the morning. Whomever this was, they must have an important reason to get up this early to come to her. "I'm in here," she called to the visitor, "I'll be out in a second."

Sliding her papers into their respective folders for now, Joy stood up and left her office.

Outside, the pink haired woman searched the two young women in front of her for any obvious signs of injuries. One was a maid that Joy had seen around but never learned the name of and the other was a small blue haired mage.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked, eyeing both women as she walked into the receiving room, "are either of you hurt?"

Her hospital 'room' was made from four smaller rooms; her office, receiving, treatment room, and recovery room. The last room mentioned had been reopened after the first five explosion victims had come in at about the same time.

The taller of the two women nodded to her as she approached. "Neither of us are hurt per say," she said, "But we need your advice and help with something." The blue haired mage nodded along with her companion.

"I see?" Joy said, she really didn't but she hoped if she went along with whatever this was, it would be explained.

"Could we go to an examination room?" The blue one asked shifting around to check the way they had come.

'She must be the one who needs my help,' Joy thought as she nodded and led the way into her examination room.

"Would you like me to come in there with you?" she heard the tall maid ask apparently to the smaller mage.

"Yes, you could have useful information," came the soft reply.

Shaking her head in confusion, Joy opened the doorway and let them come in.

-[]-

"So," Joy summed up after a loose explanation for what was going on had been provided, "You," the mage, "encountered magic that you hadn't seen before but she," the maid, "knows a little about, and it has affected your body. What you want from me is information on if everything's still working correctly, right?"

"That's basically it," Dove said nodding.

Joy sighed, "could you be a little more specific? What exactly about you was affected by this 'strange magic'?"

Tabitha looked at Dove, who nodded back reassuringly.

Tabitha the sat down on the padded table Joy had set up in this room and lifted her skirt for examination.

Joy's jaw dropped. She had never, in all the years of her professional career, ever expected to see something like that.

"Does it, are you a boy?" she asked as her thoughts miss fired here and there.

"No, all the boys have gone to war remember?" Dove answered, "and we would have come sooner if this had happened as far back as before the boys left." Tabitha just sat there waiting blankly.

"Well, yes, but I've, ah, I never thought I would see something like this," Joy said, "does it, ah, function?"

Tabitha lifted the male appendage and pointed underneath, "my vagina is still here."

"What she means," Dove said as the mage of little words confused nurse Joy a little bit. 'Best get it all out of the way as soon as possible,' Dove decided as she spoke.

"Is that she still uses her female parts to pass waste but she thinks that the male reproductive part is functional. We were hoping that you could help us know if it is functioning properly and how it might affect her body, if at all."

"So, you want to know if you can actually… get it active?" Joy asked tentatively.

"I know I can," Tabitha said calmly despite the sensitive topic, "It hurts afterwards."

"So, you're after information about… physical effects of having a penis, correct?" Joy asked with more surety than before.

"Correct," Tabitha confirmed.

"And you're here for?" Joy turned to Dove.

"Support," Dove said quickly, "and I happen to be the most knowledgeable about the magic that did this to her, even though we don't have much to go off, so I might be able to help."

"I see," Joy said, "well miss, the facts about your attachment are…"

-[]-

Dove really wished that there was a god of making people forget. Dove let her mind imagine this mad up divine as she tried to burn the nurse's examples of… functions, out of her mind.

It wasn't talking about the act itself that got to Dove, it was the in-depth lecture about what happens when infections occur during sex that got to her.

To escape, she day dreamed of a divine that would have the power to make someone forget exactly what they had just seen.

It would have the power to remove anything that would remind the person of what was forgotten from existence. Finally, it would make any written word containing the information be bypassed by a pair of dots with maybe a little symbol in-between.

"So, that is how the penis functions and how it can go wrong, any questions?" Joy said putting away the small chart she had back in one of her drawers.

Tabitha focused on the most important part of the lecture, "what are the healthy signs during sex?"

"Well," Joy continued…

-[]-

It really would look something like that.

Joy looked at her patient in contemplation. Tabitha had mentioned how often she was getting erect and how strong the reaction was. Her question was if that was normal.

"What you're are describing to me is most likely not a physical problem but a mental one," she said after a moment of consideration.

Dove frowned, "how so?" As uncomfortable as this had been, she hadn't expected that kind of response from the Nurse.

"When the penis gets erect it caused by blood going to it, the command to do so comes from the brain," Joy explained before turning to talk directly to Tabitha, "your issue appears to be that you're hyper aware of what 'turns you on'."

She paused and then thought out loud, "I can't tell if it's because your brain can't properly understand the fact that you suddenly have the option to get erect or if the magic you mentioned before is somehow causing you to be attracted to something in particular that you happen to run into a lot around the academy."

Dove heartily prayed that it was the first option and not Sheogorath deciding to add physical reactions to things to create strange fetishes for Tabitha to deal with.

Tabitha on the other hand fought the most difficult battle of her life; not to think of Dove. She fought the urge to shift and was glad that the nurse didn't notice the twitch her lower body did when a stray thought brought the side of Dove's face into view.

It made sense to her, the condition had always been partially hard whenever she was awake. It had been worse when it was newly added but was getting more under her control. Yet just as the nurse had said, something had always made it more active; Dove.

Did Sheogorath add that?

She refocused on maintaining her bland expression. If she wasn't confronted directly by Dove then she should be able to keep her apparently over enthusiastic dick under control.

"Do you know of anything that could be affecting you more than others Tabitha?" Dove asked turning to look at her blue haired (hopefully-eventually more then) friend.

Tabitha glanced up and locked on to her face. Maybe it was the amount of time since she had last stimulated it, or maybe it really wanted _her_ touch instead of Tabitha's, but to her mortification, Tabitha's dick hardened up completely started leaking clear fluid.

"I see that something must be effecting it," Joy said drawing attention to herself, "this reaction can't be normal."

The manhood on a petit woman's body readied itself until the fluid had dripped all the way down her length and onto the floor where it started to collect.

Tabitha simply had too much.

As both women stared, wide eyed at her shame, she dropped her skirt "I need to leave," She said, and got up. "Thank you," she said to the concerned looking nurse Joy before she moved out of the room as fast as she could without looking like she was running away.

She was down the hall and out of sight of the nurse's office before Dove could make it to the door herself.

Tabitha ran as soon as she was sure the sound of her foot falls wouldn't echo back to the room where she left her friend.

Rounding a bend in the corridor, Tabitha found herself almost crashing into a pair of students. She mentally cursed herself as she stumbled to regain her balance, she should have heard them talking before she had approached the corner but she was starting to be blinded by the water in her eyes.

She wasn't completely aware of it, but her breath had started to get rougher and an emotion that looked like a strange combination of fear, depression and mortification had bled onto her face.

Before the two girls could get a clear understanding of what or who had nearly run into them, Tabitha was off again. Down the hall, out the doors, and out of the academy walls before most of the academy had even fully woken up.

-[]-

Trees whipped past Tabitha as she dropped her staff to go faster. There was only one person that she felt could make her feel better right now.

Sylphid could tell that something was wrong the second that big sister crashed into her drowsy side. Fully awakened by the impact, Sylphid crooned in confusion as she tried to get a good look at big sister and the way she had come.

Her questioning tone was silenced as if with a knife as she heard something she never thought possible coming from the blue mage.

"Sniff, hu hua sniff, sniff sniff."

Big sister was crying, little tremors that had started when she touched Sylphid's scaly side grew into larger sobs that racked the suddenly tiny looking mage and scared her mighty dragon in a way nothing else had in her short three-hundred-year lifespan.

Shifting around onto her side, Sylphid allowed her big sister to cry her confusion and humiliation into her soft underbelly as she crooned comfortingly to take away the pain.

* * *

 **I feel kind of bad about this chapter and the last one.**

 **I wrote both while in a haze,**

 **I was just so relived that almost no one was flaming me for giving Tabitha a dick when I wrote these that I found I had to go back later and give it more... substance to qualify as a good chapter.**

 **Also I wasn't completely joking about the jet lag please point out any issues you found.**


	41. Chapter 41

**BREAKING NEWS**

 **I acctually have a beta now.**

 **evevee has taken the role of reading my work before it goes out to all of you to look for my mistakes.**

 **hopefully now I won't make a many.**

 **Thank you for looking over this chapter evevee.**

 **Skyrim and Familiar of Zero belong to me in another dimension,**

 **not this one.**

* * *

 **Akshka: Done.**

 **OXSDStitch: I don't think Agnes will figure out why Tabitha was gifted, but as soon as she realizes that Dove and the Dragonborn are one then I think she will take a firm hand on things.**

 **the kitty killer: The name was completely coincidental, she has no relations to any other nurse joys. ;P**

 **alexkehling: I neither confirm nor deny any relationship between my youth playing pokemon and this nurse's name. How are the scenes repeating themselves in your opinion? The image is of Dove, she looks basically like that in my head.**

 **NacNak: She does have pride, she is after all a very skilled young woman, she at least has confidence that took a beating from this.**

 **wolfknight117: Maybe, I honestly don't have much room in my head for Omakes, It either is part of a story or isn't to me.**

 **helkil: I'll try to add more songs, I was thinking about how bad it was that Dove is a bard and I hadn't given her a song yet when I wrote the last chapter.**

 **Guest: True, but I think that technical anything can become fetish fuel if you look at it hard enough.**

 **amimai002: Maybe not that 'innocent' but more they think that the other won't reciprocate.**

 **evevve: Thank you for becoming my beta.**

 **alexc123: I'm sure she will.**

 **Touhou is life: Thank you. Is there anything special about the number 40? more people associate numbers like 50 or so as special since it's half of a hundred.**

 **RedBurningDragon: I honestly didn't take much time to listen in game but outside in my free time I did.**

 **Paktu: I was at DreamHack.**

 **Boyzilla: I just thought that adding a mans body part to a woman's body would have some emotional response and wrote what I thought would happen, kind of sad I know.**

 **TheENDstyler: Well, The pregnancy process is in question since she does have a dragon's soul, maybe it effects the time the baby is in her womb? or maybe she lays eggs. *Shrugs***

 **A.M.C: I'm sure there's a porn of that.**

 **UNSC Know Your Place: How long have you been wearing that armor? If you're feeling over heated then you should take it off :P.**

 **perfectshade: I like the Lakeview manor so that is her technical home, but she explores so much. I got board while working in a kitchen and started humming then realized that I didn't have my bard character sing so far in the story. Ideas for the who to go to were proposed in my head before settling on female nurse, the chapter reflected my thoughts.**

 **Nurse Joy was named because I felt like poking fun at the fact that I called Dove by a pokemon's name last chapter, I found it a little funny.**

* * *

The day passed unnoticed with the somber mood around the dragon and her summoner.

Tabitha quickly ran out of tears; she hadn't been a big crier since she lost her mother. Content with her position and in no state of mind to move, she instead just sat back against the warm belly of her dragon familiar.

'It just isn't right,' she thought in a moment of dejection. 'Why can't I just live a normal life? Why did Father have to die? Why did Mother have to become insane? Why did this thing have to GROW ON ME!'

Her thoughts continued this line of reasoning for a time. All the frustrations and concerns surfaced as Tabitha fulminated at her life, her silent tirade against fate unknown to any but herself as she kept her body completely still from years of experience. Her time as an unheard operative meant that the only place she could vociferate was in the privacy of her one safe place: her mind.

Sylphid lay there, giving mental and physical support to the human who summoned her. As the sun dipped towards the horizon, the blue dragoness went so far as to skip dinner to stay with Tabitha, a meaningful gesture for a dragon.

As the sun becomes nothing more than a sliver on the horizon, Tabitha stands and dusts herself off. 'I should go back,' she says to Sylphid over their mental connection. The dragon offers one more croon of encouragement before the blue mage leaves.

As she walked back towards the academy, Tabitha did a mental and emotional check to see if she was back to operating at satisfactory conditions.

She knew that she had needed to take the time to be alone. The stress of the last few days had been building and the embarrassment of her sudden issue had simply been the straw that had broken the camel's back.

The humiliation she had felt over such a lack of any physical control had been devastating for her. Tabitha had always had excellent control over many aspects of her body before this...event.

The fact that Dove had been the one to witness such a shameful sight was a side note that made the entire experience worse to her for some reason that she should-COULDN'T! Couldn't admit to herself.

Maybe it was like what the nurse suggested; the madman might have made her body react to the presence of Dove. One of the few friends that Tabitha had ever made.

Shaking her head to clear it of thoughts of the baroness, Tabitha broke out from the tree line and moved across the small field of short grass towards the opening in the academy walls.

"Tabitha?"

Upon entering the academy, she was greeted by the only voice she honestly didn't want to hear right now.

"Hello, Dove," She said softly.

Dove looked at her strangely as she compared this Tabitha to every other time she had known the girl. She was acting a lot more like the first time she had met Dove than any of the other times she had known the blue girl; impersonal, cold, repressed.

Deciding to throw caution to the wind, Dove marched up and hugged the girl.

As the other woman's hands closed around her, Tabitha stiffened. In more ways than one, she shamefully realized. Deciding that enough was enough, Tabitha started to struggle to get out of the surprisingly strong arms that encircled her.

"I'm sorry that I embarrassed you," Dove said into the other girl's hair as she held on tight.

Tabitha ceased moving in surprise at the sensation of some liquid substance in her hair.

"I'm sorry that Sheogorath altered your body without your permission or desire, that he did it for me," Dove continued, brokenly murmuring her apologies into Tabitha's hair. "I'm sorry that I am being so useless in finding anyway to change or fix this problem. I'm the most knowledgeable one here in regards to that white haired, cheese obsessed moron and yet I can't think of anything to do to fix this."

Tabitha blinked as she thought over the maid's words. She hadn't considered Dove's feelings over this issue, she had, rather understandably, focused on her own feelings and sensations around the intrusion.

To realize just how badly her friend felt over her failure to have helpful answers shocked her. Tabitha's own isolation ensured that she wasn't sure exactly how to handle it effectively. Her hesitation allowed the silence to stretch and Dove's falling hopes that she would be forgiven were almost tangible in the air.

Taking a gamble, Tabitha circled her arms around Dove and simply told her, "I forgive you." With her head so close to the maid's chest, Tabitha could hear Dove's heart slow in relief as she relaxed into the hug.

"Thank you," Dove said with the relived breath, giving her friend a squeeze before letting go.

"For the record," Dove continued with a blush, "I don't care if you have both sets. That just makes our relationship more fun." Not the best choice of words but she didn't care.

Tabitha blinked as her appendage twitched in surprise.

"Thanks," she responded awkwardly.

Dove smiled despite the heat in her cheeks and turned to lead the way back to the academy door. She didn't even notice as Tabitha's gaze drifted to the tantalizing sway of her hips and the matter ensconced upon them.

Dove and Tabitha split ways as the maid left to perform her duties and the blue-haired girl made her way back to her rooms. As she lay in her bed, Tabitha considered the dragon ride that the day had been. Emotionally draining only barely began to describe what she felt, and along with that thought was the tempting desire to simply drift into sleep.

The problem with that plan made clear as her stomach reminded her that she had not eaten in hours.

Dinner was now either over or very close to it, so there wouldn't be anything for her in the eating hall. She didn't want to go to the kitchens because that was Dove's domain and she would most likely see her there, but she needed to eat if she was to have any chance at sleep.

After a moment, she confirmed that she couldn't ignore the empty feeling in her stomach until morning, so she got back up and left for the kitchens in search of a meal.

* * *

Dove's punishment for skipping out on the work load without running it by Martone was washing the entirety of the dishes by herself, a punishment she gladly took since her time had been well spent being there for Tabitha until she came back.

Still, Dove was only part way done and had washed more dishes than she cared to even see in her lifetime already. Being well versed in the art that was mindless scrubbing, she allowed her mind to drift.

She had stood at the entrance to the academy ever since her failure to find Tabitha that morning and as such had missed helping with lunch and dinner.

As she slowly worked through the pile of dishes about the size of herself, Dove hummed to herself.

"I just hummmahumm, and it felt so good~" She sang away. Nothing was stopping her from sashaying at the wash station as a light blush covered face as she imagined herself taking part in the rest of the lyrics.

Her mood was very good despite the situation.

Martone watched his assistant dancing in place at what was supposed to be her punishment. He gave a wry smile as he was sure he knew what had caused her to be late for so long. He hoped the fellow realized just how lucky he was to have her.

"Excuse me," came a voice from the chef's side.

Jumping a little bit in surprise, Martone turned and looked down on a blank faced, blue haired student.

"Yes? May I help you?" he asked as his interest grew. Most nobles probably didn't know how to get to the kitchens, let alone want to go there. In fact, if he was honest, Martone suspected that most didn't even know where their food came from, so finding one in his kitchen was a rather large surprise.

"I missed dinner," the mage said softly. "Could I please have something to eat?"

'Ahhh,' Martone thought happily, she was a good egg.

"I have plenty of left over from tonight, would that work for you my lady, or would you like us to whip you up something really quick?" he asked politely.

"Just some leftovers," Tabitha said just as politely.

"That we can do," Martone said proudly as he gestured to the kitchen table. "Dove! Put that aside for now and get the young lady something to eat," he called out to his assistant, breaking her out of her daydream.

Wiping her hands on a rag, Dove shot a glance over her shoulder at the same time and smiled at Tabitha. "I'll be right there," she said, hoping that her blush wasn't as visible as she felt it was.

Going over to the pots of soup, Dove filled a bowl with the tangy beef stew. With that done, she made her way to the oven and managed to find some garlic bread that hadn't been hardened by the open flame nearby. Placing both items on the standard plate, Dove returned to the table.

"Here you go," Dove said, laying out the quick meal with a flourish before standing back and returning to the wash station.

Tabitha ate quickly and quietly as the head chef watched her expression for her reaction to the meal.

"This is good," Tabitha said pausing after a few bites. The head chef smiled in pride as his work was complemented.

After a moment or two of digging into the bowl and taking bites of the bread, Tabitha asked a question. "What's she doing?" She politely gestured to Dove at the wash station and continued, "That's a lot of dishes."

"She's in a bit of trouble for skipping out on work today," Martone said simply. "It's nothing too bad and the punishment isn't too hard for it, but it was rather wrong of her to just ditch us for some guy."

Tabitha raised an eyebrow. "Some guy?" she repeated, asking for answers by her tone.

"I'm sure that's what she was doing," Martone said before looking at Dove partially teasing her, "She didn't come in this morning, was seen only here and there around the academy, but was then later found in front of the academy. Apparently, she was waiting for someone."

Tabitha processed this information in silence. Dove was too far away to hear what was being said and so focused on scrubbing a particularly nasty piece of burned meat from the saucepan in front of her.

'Was she waiting for me?' Tabitha asked herself. A part of her was surprised that someone was willing to wait an entire day for her, she was... touched.

* * *

Dove arrived at her room a little later than normal that night. The number of dishes had been more than she was expecting and so it was almost eleven at night before she managed to get back to her room.

The punishment had been just like Martone had said it would be, boring but not hard. The only interesting thing that had happened during the time had been when a musketeer had come into the room and said something to her current guard.

The current guard had taken a quick look at her and then both had put their heads together and spoke in hushed, quick sentences that made it all too apparent that whatever was being discussed, it was important Musketeer business.

Dove had finished the dishes while they were discussing and had immediately taken the opportunity to leave the kitchen and had made it back to her own room without her own personal shadow.

She had made it back to her room without any issues, inevitably setting up another confrontation with her guards later. Ignoring that thought, Dove slowly started to untie her maid apron with severely pruned fingers. A quick tug and the knot came free, allowing her to lift the apron off and started to shrug out of her dress.

"Good evening, miss Bosquet."

Dove stiffened for a moment before sliding her dress back on and looking at the door. Surprisingly, her late-night visitor was none other than the blond-haired Priest Julio.

"THE HELL ARE YOU GOING IN MY ROOM THIS LATE AT NIGHT!" Dove instantly shouted at the man, her exhaustion delaying her exclamation at her near exposure.

He smiled at her in a disarming fashion. "I was on a late-night stroll through the halls and saw you come in here. I was unaware that this was your room," he lied smoothly. He knew that this was her room and he was most certainly not out for a stroll.

"Well, now you know. Can you please leave? I'm trying to get ready for bed," Dove said irritably.

"Why are you only now getting ready for bed?" Julio asked showing interest. "It's rather late at night for only just now getting to bed."

"I had some punishment from the staff for missing a good portion of the work day," Dove said with a shrug before quickly reaching back to fasten the top of her dress as her shrug nearly caused the fabric to fall off her.

"I see, what were you doing to miss a 'good portion' of your job? You don't seem to be the type to just run off on a whim," Julio asked with a smile.

"A friend needed help with something," Dove said without giving away any details.

Julio sighed and sat down on the bed next to Dove. "Alright, I understand," he said giving her a thoughtful, sideways, grin, "This friend must be very important to you to keep her secrets."

"I never said if it was a he or she," Dove said to throw more confusion over her actions.

"Well, most people here are women since the war started so it was a fair guess," Julio reasoned. "Either way, it's a very noble thing of you to help them."

Dove rolled her eyes, she just did what she would hope others would do for her. A hand suddenly alighted on her shoulder, it's touch was soft and gentle but she felt a cold shiver run through her body at the contact.

Julio felt her shudder and smiled, he was used to women shuddering at his touch, but most of the time it was for honest lust or other emotions he invoked in them. Thinking her reaction was like the others he had gotten close to, Julio moved on.

"You know," he started with a thoughtful tilt to his head to draw her attention, "It's rather sad that the church doesn't recognize goddesses, I'm sure you're right about being one."

Dove looked at him in confusion before she remembered the meeting where she had asked if the ability to grant magic made her a goddess.

"Thanks. If you are so sure that the creation of magic per your religion is grounds for godhood, then I would qualify for a place of worship," Dove responded with a hint of sarcasm, a smile appearing on her face as her mind created temples and structures of worship for her, along with a large population of followers shouting her name as she lounged on a gilded throne on top of it all.

"It's not just your potion that should be recognized as divine," Julio said with conviction, "another thing to recognize is your beauty."

Dove colored just a bit at his words. "I'm not too sure that my beauty is something to write home about," she said modestly trying to cool her face. It was very nice to hear someone say that but she really didn't want it coming from a flirt like Julio.

Julio turned to face her directly, leaning in just a bit. "I'm sure. Your beauty is something to 'write home about' and so much more," he said breathlessly.

Dove colored even more and remained frozen as she tried to figure out what the priest was doing.

"May I worship at your altar?" Julio asked in a deeply passionate voice, his gaze reverently dropped to her chest. "May I be blessed by this goddess to see more of her beautiful self?"

If one could project their control on the world, all would have heard the audible 'crack' as Dove's broke.

* * *

"Any luck?" Agnes asked Louise as she met back up at the gathering hall with the mage and her Lieutenant after an hour of searching.

"Nothing on my end," Michel reported in.

"No signs of magical marks on any of the other girl's chests that I could find," Louise reported as well.

Agnes growled in frustration as she racked her brains for another possible thing they could do to catch the thief. A little over an hour ago, the headmaster's office had been broken into. The headmasters familiar mouse had gone to inform the old man as soon as he had seen someone in a mask with a painted third eye trying to break into the wall safe.

Her clothes were a dark purple cloak that hugged her entire head and a tight black shirt and leggings that covered most of her body, except for a window to her breasts.

Agnes paused in her remembrance to ask herself just why the heck a thief would have a boob window in her breaking and entering outfit. The headmaster had rushed to the room only to arrive in time to see the obviously female figure withdraw a pair of rings from his safe.

"STOP IN THE NAME OF THE QUEEN!" he had shouted before lifting his staff in a threateningly manner.

"TCH!" the woman hissed as she turned and immediately thrust her wand at the man, causing the ground to shift and almost erupt under him. As the headmaster stumbled and tried to catch his balance, he saw the thief slip the two rings into her prominent bosom, secure between her large breasts.

Maybe that was the reason for the window. The headmaster had gotten over his distraction long enough to throw a magic stamp at the woman and nailed her right in the breast. His stamp left the sign of magic, Brimir's pentagon on her flesh as she quietly cursed and used magic to escape through the wall.

After that, the musketeer force had gathered and secured the grounds, meaning that the thief had yet to leave the academy. The only good news was that the headmaster had had the foresight to send the rings on to someone else, in Romalia of all places. Now they were hunting down a thief with the fake rings by checking the chest of every person in the academy.

Louise was safe since her body type didn't match the thief's but the rest were suspect due to their magic and noticeable breasts. The flat-chested mage wasn't sure how she felt about that.

"So," Louise said looking around, "Where is Julio?"

"I separated from him about five minutes ago," Michel said. "He was going to check the Baroness."

Louise frowned, again something about that sentence didn't sit right with her.

"Fus..."

Louise barely had the time to frown at the familiar whisper of power before the second half jogged her memory.

"...RO DAH!"

A thunder clap accompanied the shout of pure, righteous, female dragon fury. Ah, right, that would be Dove. All three young women look at each other before racing towards the source of the noise.

The three all screeched to a halt just outside the hall to where Dove's room was. A growing crowd of servants stuffed the entrance but didn't completely block the bright orange glow lighting the hall. The light was strangely reminiscent of a bon fire.

"Out of the way, Queen's musketeers coming through!" Agnes cracked the authoritative whip, causing an immediate scramble from the servants directly in front of her and an only a little slower response from those farther in. Walking down the now clear pathway, the three found themselves completely at a loss on how this came to pass.

The hall was almost normal but for the wall of fire surrounding one door. Icicles were also imbedded in the wall across the way from said fire. The fire was very hot, almost the color of golden straw instead of the normal orange. A dull roar like a mostly muted lion informed those present that it was still going strong.

"There isn't any smoke," Michel noted on the side as she glanced at the ceiling.

"Smoke comes from something burning," Louise said smartly. "This fire is pure magic, there is no smoke from Dove's spells until it catches something else on fire."

Agnes just glared to cover the fact that her face was going pale.

"Hello everyone," came the voice of the only person inside the hall with them apart from the crowding the ends of the passage.

"Report Flamen Julio," Agnes barked out at the smiling blond.

Julio sighed, hiding the fact that he will have limp from this experience, "I was a little too forceful in requesting to check Dove for the headmaster's seal. She used some kind of wind magic to throw me from the room and created this wall to keep me out of her room."

Louise sighed in exasperation.

"Louise," Agnes address the mage, "You're her friend, can you get Dove to stop this? If that fire gets out of hand, we could lose this entire section of the academy." She was rightfully concerned over the possible loss of life and living space.

"You don't have to worry captain," Julio said lightly, "I've been testing this interesting piece of magic for a little while now, and I can conclude that nothing will be burnt except for something already in the fire. The heat doesn't seem to leave the pillar, a truly fascinating creation."

Louise blinked in surprise. "So, the fire won't spread?" she asked, getting at the meat of what Julio had said.

"Nope," Julio reiterated. "I think this spell was made to create the pillar but not damage anything else in the area to stop people from going a certain direction."

"We can talk about how 'cool' the fire is later," Michel said to bring them to the original point. "Were you able to confirm that the Baroness wasn't the thief? Her guards said she vanished shortly after the rings were stolen."

Julio shook his head, "Like I said, I must have been to forward with her, she threw me out and erected the barrier. Anytime I try to get close enough to call out to her, she throws a spike of ice through the flames at me."

Agnes shuddered at the fire shrouded door. She was rather surprised at the violent reaction the Baroness was showing at having been asked to show her breasts to Julio, just how badly had he screwed up to get her this mad?

Michel looked at the fire with an almost hungry expression, this power would be a turning point in this war without a drought. 'And the one who controls it will be very wealthy' a smaller thought tacked onto her main examination.

Louise sighed and marched over to the doorway. "DOVE YOU OVERZEALOUS IDIOT! LOWER THE FLAMES NOW!" she shouted over the cacophony the fire had created.

"IS THE PERVERT GONE?!" Dove's voice responds from within.

"NO," Louise admits, "BUT WE HAVE HIM UNDER CONTROL. WE NEED TO TALK TO YOU, IT'S IMPORTANT."

There is a moment of silence the flames disappear leaving the door and corridor without any burns or other signs that there had been a fire to begin with. The door opened after another moment and Dove stood there with her arms crossed and a very stern expression on her face.

"What do you want?" She asked bluntly. "I want to get to bed without flirts asking the 'worship' my body, so make it quick."

Midnight would be passing them by very soon and she still had to get up to help with breakfast.

"We're investigating a break in," Louise answered. "There was a theft of something important to the queen only a few hours ago. The thief escaped but we have her trapped on campus. In her haste to escape the headmaster managed to mark her with magic stamp. We need to check your chest to rule you out as a suspect."

Dove groaned and rubbed her face. "Next time send at least a woman, preferably Louise, and not the flirt thank you very much," she said before gesturing for Louise to follow her into the room.

Turning back around without checking to see if she was following, Dove marched back into her room.

Louise looked over her shoulder at her companions before following her secret familiar into her room. The three left outside glanced at each other and shrugged before waiting, and the almost completely forgotten servants listening in with baited breath waited with them. Finally, Louise came back out

"She doesn't have the mark. We need to find some other method of searching for the thief," she announced.

Dove meanwhile finished pulling on her soft sheer nightgown. Louise had immediately checked her chest even though she knew Dove wasn't the thief and then asked her familiar for help finding the perpetrator.

Dove had shaken her head and refused to help. "I'm sure you can figure out a way to find this thief yourself," she had said in a confidant.

As she yawned and settled down in bed she thought, 'I'll have Louise try to figure this out on her own, if they really have the grounds secured then it shouldn't matter if I help now or tomorrow when I'm rested.' Confident in her kind of selfish plan, Dove let herself drift off.

* * *

 **Lazy Dove.**

 **or lazy writer.**

 **whelp, I'm back in america so now I'm going to have to get used to another sleep schedule change.**

 **JET LAG IN REVERSE!**


	42. Chapter 42

**So ninjas don't work**

 **computer hax don't work**

 **Maybe the cyborg ninjas plan will work to get me the ownership of Familiar of Zero and Skyrim?**

 **I hear Gray Fox might lend a hand**

* * *

 **Guest: No limb losing yet sorry, remember how smug he was in canon about it?**

 **amimai002: No, not Fouquet... although FOZ has a thing for large chested woman thieves or as other 'bad' girls, think there is a connection?**

 **Guest000: For the time being, Julio is safe because his death would draw too much attention, for the time being. I have plans for Tiffa but Tabitha is the pairing so their romance will be a bit more than a sub-plot**

 **helkil: I was thinking about her using the school of Conjuration in one of the next major conflicts, golden eye anger will show up later.**

 **Touhou is Life: Yes it is. Adjusting back to your home time zone is worse then adjusting to a new one, that's what I meant.**

 **Akshka: Agreed.**

 **RedBurningDragon: Agreed. Why do you think she's the master of the thieves guild?**

 **VulpineSnow: Neither do I. Ya' know, I hadn't thought about Altmers in comparison to Mageocracy... it's rather similar.**

 **Boyzilla: Yup, congrats to us for being on a roll!**

 **Guest: I am sure that whomever you are, your just posting the exact same thing, even if it's complement.**

 **Hishin Trueflame: I know that I have bad grammar, my teachers said I would never read or write beyond an elementary school level so this is me blowing a raspberry at them.**

 **ImAEliteReader: Nice to know I made you laugh.**

 **UNSC Know Your Place: Because I don't like to be lazy. YES I'M STEAMY~! I might have a true lemon later.**

 **TheENDstyler: Very luck to be alive.**

 **NacNak: Thank you.**

 **alexc123: But it's so much fun to write when a power hungry person gets their teeth kicked in, just imagine that scene and it gets less annoying to deal with them.**

 **Telron: Ah, thanks.**

* * *

 **Beta: evevee, a person with a better vocabulary then me :)**

* * *

"Wait, what?" Dove asked, interrupting the pink mage's story with her exclamation as she looked at Louise. It was the next morning and Dove was listening to Louise explain the commotion the night before.

"Say that again," she ordered with a confused frown, "I thought you were telling me about the theft from last night." Dove was a little late getting up today after staying up all night washing and then summoning a wall of flames and several ice spikes, so she might have misheard what Louise just said.

"Michel was caught trying to pin the theft on my sister, Cattleya," Louise explained. "The headmaster was apparently able to trick her into planting the evidence by telling us that the rings were fake. Since she left the rings to be discovered in my sister's room after causing an explosion, we could figure out that the thief had heard the old man's fake admission about sending the real rings out of the country. A quick check and we were able to find the mark on her."

"So, of course she gave up without a fight?" Dove asked with obvious sarcasm.

Louise snorted, "No, I had to throw an ice spike at her which slowed her down. She tried to run through a window but Cattleya created a golem, just like Fouquet's creation, to block her way. Finally, Agnes shot her wand, breaking it in half." Dove smiled at Louise's excited grin, she should smile like that more often the maid decided.

"After that, Agnes took Michel away for further interrogation and Cattleya had to share a room with Eleonore since hers was destroyed in the fight." Dove laughed and bounced a little as she walked, she was so proud of her friend and wasn't afraid to let it show.

"Good job," she said, "This deserves a hug."

Louise looked confused for a moment before her mouth twitched and she tried to run, she was caught in Dove's arms before she had gone more than a pace or two. She smiled at the realization that Dove was playing with her, she hadn't played around like this in a long time. She excitedly went along with it.

"NOOO!" Louise wailed dramatically and was accompanied by Dove's, just as dramatic, evil laughter as the taller woman lifted the shorter woman into the air a tiny squeezed. Louise was laughing along with her familiar as her cry ran out of air and she was placed back on the ground.

"Ahem."

Both young women looked up to see Cattleya looking at them with a smile on her face and laughter in her eyes. Behind her were the dark thunder clouds that hung-over Eleonore, ready to bring the lightning. The dichotomy between the two sisters was amazing as Eleonore's brooding nature silhouetted Cattleya's bright shine.

Louise's eyes dulled and she clammed up immediately at the sight of her babysitter, looking like a proper noblewoman instead of a happy teenager. Dove breezed past the mute Louise and walked up to Cattleya.

"Are you alright?" she asked, letting a little bit of worry show. "I had heard that last night was exactly easy for you. Were you hurt at all?"

Cattleya smiled, "I'm fine, I was burned by some hot metal but that stopped hurting a while ago. My sister's room was much more quiet and I got a good night's rest."

Dove let out a breath and gave a smile in return, "That's good to hear."

Cattleya nodded and proceeded to call over the maid's shoulder, "Louise, I need to talk to Miss Bosquet in private, could you please go to class?" Her tone was gentle as she asked her sister to leave.

Louise looked at the three of them for a moment before she nodded in proper fashion. "I'll see you later, Dove," she said before leaving.

Dove smiled weakly and waved at her as she left, she didn't like how Louise had started to act around her elder siblings, before turning to look at Cattleya. "So," she said, placing her hands on her hips, "Need something?"

"Yes, we do," Eleonore said, marching forward and taking a restrained but still hostile stance. Dove smiled and cracked all her knuckles, creating the same cracking sound that ice did before the entire lake dropped out from under you.

Cattleya instantly posted herself in between the two women. "There is no need for unplesantries," she said smartly, trying to calm them both down.

"I agree with that statement," Dove said pleasantly, only to continue in a much harsher tone, "however, the attack dog appears to be biting at her collar, so I was waiting for you to take care of her before I have a reason to put her lights out."

Eleonore growled in response and clenched her wand.

Cattleya sighed, this impromptu peace accord wasn't off to a good start.

"Dove," she said, to draw attention from her hot-headed sister, "We want to talk to you about Louise."

Dove flicked her eyes towards the head combat magic teacher. "What do you want to talk to me about in relation to her?" She asked calmly.

"We want her to survive to see the end of this war," Cattleya said in a plain but slightly formal tone, "And we want your help to cause this to happen."

"People die in war," Dove said callously causing Eleonore to tense and Cattleya to frown, "either on the front line, or sneaking out to the front because their family tried to hold them back. Chose whichever one you want, but remember that one of the options causes the dead to hate their family before the end." She smiled as her obvious jape hit home.

Eleonore suddenly snapped her wand hand up, moving to point it straight at Dove. In response, Dove snapped her hand up and down the second she saw Eleonore's wand move, causing her hand to intercept the wand and clobber it from the blonde's possession.

"ENOUGH!" Cattleya shouted in an authoritative voice. Both girls froze as if suddenly afraid of causing the third to turn on them. "I had hoped that the two of you could at least act like you're older than five, but it appears that I was wrong. BAD! BAD GIRLS, THE BOTH OF YOU," she punctuated each line with a serious finger point and the two disobedient women.

"Now listen up." She turned to Dove and spoke in a soft but strong voice, just the tone you use to show children how much you were disappointed in the two of them, making Dove feel scolded before she even started. "My mother and elder sister Eleonore have decided that they will be looking to strengthen the bonds between Louise and other people her age to ensure that she will have reliable companions on the battlefield."

She sighed, "I know that a dragon is a formidable partner, but they wanted even more protection, and can you blame a family for wanting that?"

Dove was about to answer that she couldn't but Cattleya continued in her now kinder voice. "I want your help in creating an environment where Louise can make friends that will last on the battlefield. Can you help me with that?" Dove looked to the side and considered. Cattleya waited without moving her eyes from the Baroness.

"Of course, I would help," Dove said before glaring at Eleonore, "However, there needs to be a better way help Louise than hovering over her like a bad scent."

Cattleya nodded easily, "I was thinking about including group casting into my classes. It would be a good way to start getting the young women working together and we can build on connections made during that time to form a group to protect Louise."

"What about the other students?" Dove asked after a moment of thought. "Why not work on getting all of them to at least tolerate each other so that more come home instead of just focusing on Louise?"

"I was focusing on Louise first because she's my sister," Cattleya said before her expression turned into a thoughtful frown, "but we should also focus on bringing them all back if we can. Many of them already have fast friends, leaving Louise out in the cold."

"Bringing everyone back from a war that has already shed blood is a pipe dream," Dove said bluntly, "but this would be a good start for getting the maximum amount of people to come home." Dove looked thoughtful for a second or two before she nodded, "I'll also encourage teamwork with my 'test subjects'."

Eleonore frowned before asking the obvious, "Test subjects?"

"Yes, people who are involved in projects in the position that their reactions are the deciding factor of the experiment are sometimes called test subjects," Dove said simply.

Eleonore looked confused as to why that would be important to their conversation, but Cattleya picked through the hidden meaning quickly. "Is Louise one of these test subjects?" She asked, causing the blond sister to pale a bit at her imagination and look at Dove in a way that would have turned others to ash.

"Yes, she was the first to take the potion and learn my people's magicka," Dove said. She was already regretting the fact that she was revealing this information to any other members of the Valliere family, but she felt that Cattleya would handle it responsibly.

Eleonore, on the other hand, wasn't so happy.

"You're using our sister as a guinea pig?" she asked in a quiet, dangerous tone.

Dove shook her head, "No, I gave her a tested potion that I personally have taken before. The test was in just what it would do to people who weren't exposed to my people's magicka." What she didn't tell Eleonore was that said testing was on animals and that her use of the potion had been to give her a little more power for her restoration spell after a troll knocked her off the path to High Hrothgar. She could see the pot beginning to boil over so she hurried on, "Every precaution I could give was used and there have been no side effects in any of the people or animals who have taken the potion."

Eleonore still looked like she was going to use Dove's skull as a flower vase, however, a look from Cattleya caused her to stop before her dream became a reality.

"Thank you for your honesty in telling us miss Bosquet," Cattleya said calmly. "I would, however, like to know something. You kept saying things like 'my people's magicka', what do you mean by that?"

"I'm not native to Tristian," Dove said simply. "You'll probably hear of it from some of the staff later, but I was brought here by riding, and being dropped from, the talons of the dragon Dovahkiin when she was summoned by Louise. The dragon and I come from a land called Skyrim originally, and it's where I learned the magicka skill set I'm teaching to your sister and others."

"I see," Cattleya said. "Thank you for explaining. We won't keep you here much longer if you have things to do."

Dove nodded, "Yup, I missed too much from the kitchen yesterday so I need to get going. Good day." With that she walked off.

The silence lasted until Dove was around the corner, before Cattleya let out a long breath and seemed to deflate in stature. Eleonore jumped into action. Pacing the short hallway allowed the quick turns she had to do to complete the task to stoke the flames of her wrath.

"Calm down," Cattleya sighed as she watched her sister work herself up.

Eleonore stopped but also turned and opened her mouth to shout.

"Yes, I know it's disconcerting to hear that Louise is a test subject in the very mysterious task that no one has told us about until now," Eleonore stopped preparing to shout as Cattleya spoke, "but look at it like this: Louise hasn't been hurt and she has others in this group that already might have a close connection to them."

Eleonore cocked her head to the side, an angry and slightly confused expression on her face signifying that she was thinking. Then she suddenly smiled, a tad bitterly but still a smile, "That's right, if she's part of a group already then I won't have to look far outside of that for support. The Baroness was actually helpful for a change."

Cattleya had to resist the urge to laugh at her sister's words. Eleonore would probably go to the grave hating Dove but at least she could get the two to work together a little.

"Now we just need to figure out who the other people in the Baroness's project are and then we can find someone who fits our task of keeping Louise safe," Cattleya said to round off the conversation.

"It had better be someone good," Eleonore said seriously. "Like someone from a family with equal standing as our family should suffice."

"ACHOO!"

The red headed Germainian rubbed at her rather sore nose, unaware of the attention now upon her.

* * *

Dove looked at Lela as she thrust her hand forwards. Her Musketeer student was coming along nicely, the only real problem she was having now with the destruction school of magic was that she didn't have enough raw Magicka yet to perform above apprentice level spells repeatedly.

"That's good enough for now," the Baroness said as Lela let her magicka go. "Now I would like you to try to use the Conjuring school of Magicka. Try to reach for your dagger."

Lela closed her eyes and 'felt' the air in front of her for the ethereal dagger's hilt. Dove had to repress a giggle as Lela scrunched up her face, stuck a tiny bit of her tongue out, and snatched at the air in front of her like she was about to fall over. After a moment or so of floundering, the musketeer gave up. Lela growled as she let her hand drop to her side in frustration.

"I don't think you're getting it," Dove said with a humorous smile.

Lela hissed at her teacher, she didn't like it that the Baroness was poking fun at her. "Then help me get it down," she said in a huff.

Dove chuckled as Lela's annoyed face tickled her humor. "Try this," she said as the Musketeer's face started to grow darker at her merriment. Moving behind her, Dove grabbed onto her forearms.

"Close your eyes," she commanded as she pulled the musketeer's unresisting hands up to about chest height. Lela sighed and let her eyelids shut, giving a bit of control over her body to her teacher. Slowly, with exaggerated motions, Dove had her reach down to her belt where her real-life dagger was situated.

"Now, feel with your fingers while pushing the magicka through them," Dove said in Lela's ear. Lela shivered a little, because the Baroness's breath tickled and felt strange. Even though she was feeling uncomfortable, Lela focused on her fingers. She felt around and could tell that this was her dagger, it had a slight curve to stay in her hand and a point on the pommel that allowed her to strike with the handle.

"Good," Dove had backed up so Lela could no longer feel the Baroness behind her. "Now, I need you to return to the first position I had you stand in," she said watching the Musketeer. Lela shifted her hands until they were back in the stance.

"Now think of feeling your dagger's hilt," Dove said.

Lela didn't comment and returned her hands to her knife. The Magicka in her fingers made it easier to feel the tiny differences in her knife that marked it as hers compared to knives of the same make that others owned.

"Back again." Lela returned to standing with her hands at chest height. Unnoticed by Lela, Dove shifted her stance until she was crouched down low. She then moved forwards a pace or so at a time and picked the knife off the Musketeer without her feeling a thing.

"Now grab your dagger," Dove said when she was standing in her original spot again.

Lela reached down now with practiced ease and grabbed at where her knife should have been. Dove smiled as she saw the blue-black orb that was traditionally created by the school of conjuration appear in the woman's right hand. When it reached her belt, the ball exploded outwards and formed a wraith like copy of the knife Dove had stolen.

"This time pull your knife out when you return to the first stance," Dove said, watching with interest as Lela followed her orders. The pale knife followed her hand, coming to rest in her hand where a classic knife fighters would be. Dove walked around and checked out the knife. It was just like the one she had stolen. Dove had wondered why her knife had looked like a daedric weapon since she hadn't seen one before using the spell; maybe it was because she had learned the spell from a tome while Lela had learned from practice.

"You can open your eyes now," Dove said after a moment or two of examining the blade. Lela did just that, and then blinked at the weapon in her fist. Then she grinned and held it up over her head. "I... did it," she said as what she held completely registered with her.

"Now all you need to learn is how to pull a sword out of thin air and I would be comfortable calling you competent in Magicka," Dove said smiling at her student's palpable excitement. Lela scowled a bit before moving to sheath her dagger.

"Um, how do I get rid of this?" she asked after a moment or two of trying to place the weapon in a nonexistent scabbard.

* * *

Dove walked down the hall towards the kitchen. Her day was winding down as preparations for dinner were started and the staff had asked for her to come make desert.

This time around her guard was a rather chatty musketeer, a blond woman with startling green eyes. She had smiled and started to talk to Dove about ten minutes after she had replaced the previous guard.

"So, I got to know, is it true that you can give people magic? It just wasn't that Lela could do magic and no one knew like was the case with Michel?" the blond asked eagerly, rounding on the Baroness to see her expression.

"I have a potion that gives people magicka," Dove answered calmly. "Protection of the recipe is one reason why you and the other Musketeers are here I think, apart from the fact that the school is a target in and of itself."

"I see," her guard said and returned to walking alongside her. "Is it possible that I could get some?" she asked after a moment

Dove looked at the Musketeer. "You want some of my potion?" the Baroness clarified.

"Kind of," The woman answered a little embarrassed since her group was proud of the fact that they could be effective despite not having magic themselves. "It's just that it would be so cool to have magic, and I would be able to fight in a more versatile way if I have another tool at my disposal."

"You can ask Agnes if you want," Dove said. "If she offers you as a candidate then I'll talk to you in depth about yourself so that I know you won't take what I give you and go crazy. Pass that and I have no qualms with giving you a bottle."

"But I want one now," The woman whined playfully throwing her hands in the air in dismay. Dove laughed at the musketeer, the others were always so serious, it was a breath of fresh air find one that caused her to laugh like this.

"Good things come to those who wait," Dove said seriously, "…for the right moment before jumping out from around the bend and screeching in their shocked faces." The Musketeer laughed with her.

"What's your name?" Dove asked curiously.

"I'm Rue, as in 'Rue the day you crossed me,'" the blond Musketeer said with a narrowing of her eyes and flashing a mock scowl at the Baroness.

"And I hope to hear about your submission from Agnes soon, Rue," Dove said as Rue let the scowl fade into a teasing smile. They had arrived at the kitchen door.

Inside, the kitchen was flooded with activity as normal. Dove moved towards her rightful spot quickly and effectively, leaving Rue standing at the doorway trying to figure out how best to watch over the room.

Dove turned part way around and called back, "Try by the washing station. You'll get a good view of the door and windows from there."

"Thanks," Rue called back with a wave before moving off towards the suggested area. Dove smiled and nodded before she went back to joining Martone at the grill. Pausing at her station, Dove decided that she might now forgive Osmond for telling the Queen about her potion, it caused her to meet someone like Rue so it might have been worth it.

...After one last hurrah, since he seems to have started to have forgotten about her pranks. A feeling of security as if he was safe from further revenge, had filled his countenance and she felt that it was her divine duty to break that falsehood.

Dove smiled like a cat that had gotten the mammoth milk as a thought occurred to her.

* * *

Agnes grumbled as she picked through the crowded entryway. Most of her fellow Musketeers ate in their rooms or around the lounge in their tower, but she, as captain, was supposed to eat with the teachers and to get there she had to go down this rather busy corridor. She honestly didn't like this mage filled part of her meal time commute, but it was the fastest way to get to the staff room.

Suddenly finding herself shifting around a group of three girls who weren't paying any attention, Agnes cursed herself. She too hadn't been paying enough attention to her surroundings and had almost ran right into those girls.

Her distraction was what she had found out from her traitorous lieutenant. Her foe had been active for far too long and now she had proof, Hard evidence from the woman's own mouth about what the man whom had ordered her home destroyed had done.

It was a lesser crime than burning down an entire village of innocent people, but it would still be enough to put him behind bars for the rest of his life. The chair president of legal affairs, Lishman, he had committed so many crimes that Agnes doubted that she would ever find them all.

In fact, it had taken most of her career to find out about this single crime. She should have been excited, or blood hungry, or something else other than discontented now that she had him. Why couldn't she feel happy? She had proof that Lishman had committed a heinous crime that labeled him a traitor to the crown during a time of war and was punishable by death. Why doesn't she feel some positive emotion around this?

A part of her that sounded a lot like her dead father whispered in her mind, 'revenge doesn't lead to happiness'. But it was only a small whisper in the crackling flames of hate that consumed her thoughts whenever she remembered anything relating to the night that took that voice from her.

'No,' she decided, 'I'm not happy because I can't prove he killed my village. I might put him away until his skin rots off, forever more if I can! But unless I can bring everyone who was involved in that night to, justice, then I can't be happy.' Nodding to solidify that argument in her head, Agnes finally reached the stairs to the staff room and left the more commonly traveled areas of the academy.

-[]-

Arriving at the door, Agnes was surprised to find all the teachers standing outside the doors instead of going in and taking part of the meal she could smell from out there. One perk about guarding the academy was that her troop and she could eat the same meals as the noble students and staff instead of army rations so it was always something good.

"What's going on?" Agnes barked out the question in her 'immediate obedience' tone of voice.

"The ghost of Fouquet has come for revenge on the Headmaster for his perverted actions while she was working here," a very pale faced Chevreuse 'the red clay' said in a quivering voice while looking at the door. The other staff members nodded in quick agreement.

Agnes blinked at the lot of them, once, twice, and then stormed into the room, pistol drawn. She took the room in quickly: the staff room had a large table on one side for the staff to eat, the space next to it had some comfortable couches around a fire place, and there, backed up against the far wall was the headmaster himself.

The man was pale as was humanly possible without dying and he was stuck staring at the figure in front of him. Agnes blinked when she saw the monstrosity. Floating in the air was a dark green cloak with a lighter green robe underneath it, both clothes ended about two feet above the ground, suspended in the air by a purple mist. One sleeve of the robe was lifted to point at the trembling mage.

Agnes' eyes widened as she saw that the hand coming out of the sleeve was made from blackened bone. "IDENTIFY YOURSELF!" Agnes demanded and leveled her pistol despite her doubt that it'd do anything useful. The hand slowly dropped to the thing's side and the creature turned to face the captain.

She felt her heart clench as she saw the thing's eyes. The face was blackened bone, akin to the hand, but the eyes were voids filled with pale, piercing, purple light. Without giving it a moment to react, Agnes opened fire on the thing, praying that bullets would end it. To her astonishment, they did.

The round left her gun and carved a hole in the center of the things skull, causing the creature to 'stumble' in the air before turning to ash and letting the robes fall to the ground in a heap. Agnes blinked at the pile, surprised that the nightmarish terror had faded away so easily, but the headmaster instantly leapt away from the wall and embraced her, throwing his head back and openly sobbing.

"AGNES! I'm sorry for ever doubting you," he cried, tears streaming down his face. "You're the best guard that has ever graced these walls in all of history! I'm sorry for ever checking out your butt out whenever you leave after reporting. Thank you THANK YOU! What is this academy coming to? First the thief last night and now ghosts? What did we do to deserve this?"

Agnes kept her eyes on the pile of ash on the floor. She was just as lost as the headmaster to what that thing was or where it had come from.

"I don't know," she said to admit her confusion before firming up her voice, "but I'm going to find out, you can count on that." The headmaster let go of his rescuer's cloak and stood at attention, proud that someone of the younger generation had that amount of determination.

'Pity she isn't a mage,' he thought, 'I would have loved to have her as a student.' He sighed at the loss. 'Wait a minute,' he nearly slapped himself for forgetting, 'maybe Dove could give her some of her potion,' he thought unaware that Dove had already given her some.

"What was that about my butt earlier?" Agnes suddenly asked, interrupting the headmaster's thoughts.

'Then again,' the headmaster had to add as the woman glared at him, 'maybe it's a good thing she can't do something like throw thunderbolts and lightning, that'd be very, very frightening.'

* * *

 **Galilao**

 **(Galilao)**

 **thanks for the suggested song while writing the end evevee.**

 **I don't know about lots of you, But I want to write children for Dove.**

 **Maybe its because I'm struggling to figure out what I need for my lakeview manor in my replay to get kids but I want to add some.**


	43. Chapter 43

***Groan***

 **The figure of a person slowly stands up from a snow drift.**

 **"I saw something swooping down on grandma and pushed her out o the way"**

 **by the way, I own nothing because I can't remember what I own.**

 **Whatever hit me was made out of wood with metal skids.**

 **and I feel like an animal might have been involved.**

* * *

 **Touhou is Life: I know, I want to kill something as well. I suddenly feel the need to write a one shot. I never write one shots. I suddenly want to write one with at least five people die. Strange.**

 **Akshka: Will do.**

 **Anthem of the Night: I don't think it would be that easy, the repercussions of the act itself are** **momentous** **let alone what the kids need.**

 **link01742: I want to write Dove's life, if that means lemons despite my feelings then I want to write it.**

 **Guest: Present and accounted for.**

 **RedBurningDragon: Dove and Tiffa will deferentially have a special relationship, sisterhood is an option.**

 **Guest: Yup, that's why I now have a beta.**

 **UNSC Know Your Place: With great power comes great responsibility. I don't want to cheapen my story by just "POW you have kids!" My chapters are all about the same length.**

 **Me Myself and I: I think that time would flow the same in both dimensions, but there could be a feature of Akatosh's realm where time is slowed for training. I hadn't thought about the potion being made by a mage from the FOZ world, your entire idea from the possible effects to paying rent on Akatosh's realm sounds interesting.**

 **helkil: Thank you.**

 **TheENDstyler: Thank you for the suggestion. I was thinking that about that time would work for introducing kids.**

 **Boyzilla: She could have but I don't think she did in my story.**

 **Rook115: Summon Mistman and dressed in Fouqets old robes.**

 **Where I looked: Thank you for the suggestion. I'm going to have to go back and at least add translations.**

 **Rei Saotome: Thank you for reviewing on a lot of chapters, it helps me write better to know what people think of my story when they read it all at once instead of with my uploads.**

 **Blaze1992: I'm thinking about adding a male character just not yet.**

 **Guest: BUT IT WOULD BE SO AWESOME!**

 **dspendragon125: It is manly to want a saber tooth kitten. In fact it is so manly that people say "Wow man" at the very idea. Over the years, the phrase of ultimate manliness was shortened to Wo'man and that is how we got the word woman ;) It's a fact in my head.**

 **perfectshade: Louise deserves a lot more then just hugs. It might be too late to stop information about Dove's potion from getting out. I love Cattleya's character because I think she really is that bold just in a more hidden way. There really is no way to see what happens when you ask someone to 'train' your skills, so I'm having fun making them up.**

 **I really enjoy side or background characters. I hate the fact that they just don't make a big enough impact to warrant a name, they will be given a larger part in my stories. Agnes surprisingly isn't all that different from Tabitha. I agree that Agnes (and Tabitha a little) only see their end goal.**

* * *

"So," Dove said as she stood facing the Charming Fairies Inn in front of her, "why are we here again?" She turned to look at the pink mage, "I thought you hated this place?"

Louise looked at the one place that had become synonymous with her hated, perverted, insulting commoners. Dove smirked to herself at the dark look on her friend's face. Unlike the human mage, Dove simply loved this place. There was something about how happy the girls who worked here were that entranced her. The atmosphere simply made her feel safe to wear the peculiar uniform without worrying about being hurt.

"I received orders from the queen to come here," Louise said primly as she faced down the seed of evil. "We are supposed to receive further instructions from someone later tonight."

"I see," Dove said. She still hadn't been inducted into queen's trusted group with Louise and Agnes, so it had been a bit of a surprise when Agnes mentioned that she was being asked to accompany Louise to this meeting. It had been a bother at first, having to leave the academy, but as she stood in front of the meeting place a playful smirk started growing on her face.

"You know," Dove started blandly, her tone light and airy, "I never thought that an esteemed, beautiful, pure, young woman like your queen would be even remotely familiar with a place like this." Louise turned to look at her familiar at that statement. Dove's expression was far too innocent.

"Just what do you mean by that?" She asked carefully, ensuring that there was no miscommunication.

"I was simply wondering at how a woman of such outstanding virtue as your queen might have known that this place exists," Dove said calmly, the playful edge in her voice giving away her intent.

"I'm sure she knows about it in any other way except for the one that you appear to be insinuating," Louise said with a huff.

"Insinuate?" Dove said with an astonished gasp, "I wasn't doing anything of the sort. Just what do you think I meant during our conversation?"

"You know what you were suggesting," Louise snapped before marching over to the inn, Dove trailing behind her as she tried to smother her giggles.

"I'm sure she just needed a moment or two to unwind from her weighty duties and this place just happened to b- Oh My," Dove was only part way through her teasing when the door to the charming fairy inn was fully opened, allowing them a view inside.

The common room was unchanged, although the fresh smell of roses filled the area. What had caught Dove's attention were the girls of the inn standing at the foot of the stairs in the back of the room. All the girls were garbed in beautiful evening dresses with conveniently large openings at the neck and fluffy white fans delicately flapping to create a gentle, fragrant breeze throughout the space.

Dove sniffed and determined that each girl had her own fruity, floral, or herbal scent. Jessica was standing in the middle of the group in a white coat shirt befitting a prince overlaid by a red shoulder mantle with golden tassels, and white short shorts. She stood heroically clutching a rapier with her hair pulled back into a long ponytail to give the impression of a boy's cut.

However, the entire scene just didn't seem complete to Dove until Scarron himself appeared. His dress was a beautiful red, almost pink gown that left his shoulders bare while the sleeves hugged the contours of his muscular upper arms. Ruffled green cloth lined the seams of the outfit, providing a stark contrast to the primary color palate. Pure white gloves covered his hands and forearms while a purple wig sat daintily underneath the golden crown that adorned his head.

"Excellent, Excellent!" the man in drag proclaimed as he beheld the group, "This is simply perfect. You make me so happy!"

"I think they need some jewelry," Dove said loudly as she walked past Louise and into the inn. "Unless you're going for the high commoner look, but that doesn't quite work since Jessica is a prince and you're a… Queen? Princess? Mi mademoiselle," Dove critiqued.

"Dove! It's so good to see you," Jessica exclaimed from her spot in the group.

"H-hello, sir," Louise managed as she fought to overcome the shock of his appearance. The lack of prolonged exposure had dulled her memories of Scarron's peculiar eccentricities.

"Nope, that's not right," Scarron said in a mock offended tone. Dove watched from the sidelines as all the girls raced forwards, moving surprisingly fast considering the hindrance that their dresses posed, and seized Louise by the arms.

"Say it with me," Scarron commanded as they all held hands, "Mi mademoiselle!"

Jessica turned her attention to Dove as Louise was being reeducated about proper titles for the owner, "What brings you two here at a time like this? I heard from my cousin that the academy was still running for the female students."

"We were told to meet someone here for future instructions," Dove said simply.

"Oh, is it more secret things? Are you going to catch more corrupt nobles?" Jessica asked excitedly.

"Unluckily, that's doubtful at this time," Dove answered. "This country can't afford to have the trust in the nobility shaken right now."

"This country?" Jessica repeated, catching that little tidbit and opening the new topic. "I thought you were native to Tristian miss Bosquet."

"Nope, and I'm more proud of that fact as time passes," Dove told her sadly.

"We're not that bad," Jessica replied, shaking her head and putting her hands on her hips, "You've just been hanging around stuck up nobles for too long. Here, let me show you how to have a good time around here." Dove choked for a second as Jessica thrust her chest out with her declaration, displaying her ample tracts of 'land'. Dove gave a little sound, part laughter, part embarrassment to cover her response as she hoped that she had only imagined the double meaning from the woman.

Jessica looked at her, curious as to what happened and to make sure something wasn't wrong. Slowly a grin appeared on her face as she took in the Baroness' slightly red face.

"Something's different about you, isn't it?" Jessica asked with a predatorial tone.

"No, I'm just a little tired and swallowed wrong," Dove said making something up on the spot to dissuade the inquisitive woman. Jessica, thankfully, let it slide for the moment. The knowing smile on the faux prince's visage did little to reassure Dove for future discussions, however.

"So," Dove started, moving onto a new, safe topic, "what's with the costumes? Are they part of a new idea to draw in clients?"

Jessica beamed as her excitement shone through, "No, you should ask father about it."

Dove frowned and then looked at the man in question. He had somehow formed a pyramid with some of the girls and was having all of them repeat, "Mi mademoiselle!" at Louise.

"I think he's a little busy," she replied.

Jessica rolled her eyes before calling out to the group, "Hey, father, Dove wants to know what's with the costumes."

"WE'LL LET THE WORLD KNOW OF OUR BEAUTY!" the man pronounced dramatically as a nine-damned spotlight appeared overhead in the suddenly dark room. Dove jumped and went on the defensive as the man appeared. Somehow, he was now in front of her for the dramatic cry when only a second ago he had been over twenty feet away announcing his title to Louise.

"Translation?" Dove asked to Jessica as she let her magicka go. It was obvious that she wasn't going to get anything out of the enthusiastic man in a dress.

"We're going to be performing the Vacances en Tristaina tonight," Jessica said smiling. At her words, she pulled out a poster showing a close shot of both Scarron and Jessica's faces gazing into each other's eyes.

"I'm a little afraid to ask," Dove said resolutely, "So I'm not going to."

"That's fine," Jessica responded since Scarron was still out of commission with joy. "I'm sure you will be able to watch it since you're going to help us backstage."

"What?!"

"Us lovely ladies need more manpower," Scarron interjected, throwing both arms around the two-part timers.

"You do know Louise and I are both women as well, right?" Dove asked weakly.

Scarron, instead of answering, started calling out orders, "Dove can take care of baking today's pastries. Jessica, will you please start on breakfast after you get out of your costume, of course. Girls, can you please help little Louise find her uniform?" Dove just went with the flow and made her way to the kitchen while Louise tried to protest being led upstairs and given the clothes she had used last time she had been there.

* * *

Dove hummed to herself as she started rallying the various ingredient containers in preparation for baking. Looking up, she saw Louise come down in her white uniform.

"Ready for another day of men begging to practically eat out of your hands?" Dove teased. She was rewarded with Louise turning an interesting shade of red in equals parts anger and embarrassment.

"It would serve our purposes to hide and wait for the person we're supposed to contact to arrive," Louise answered primly without looking at Dove. She walked past the amused elf and started to make her way onto the common room floor.

"Just how are we supposed to know our contact when he or she arrives?" Dove called to the mage. Louise paused in her step, halting before she left her familiar's domain. Dove couldn't see it but her face was suddenly quite uncertain.

"I-I don't know," she admitted.

Dove deadpanned, "Really? Then as far as you know our contact could be anyone who walks in here and I don't think you want to approach every single one of them after what happened last time."

"I'm sure that whomever it is will recognize us," Louise said with confidence that somehow didn't hold up under Dove's logic.

"Meaning it has to be someone we've met before. Whom have we met from the palace? Let's count them out: Wardes, a traitor and dead; Henrietta, a queen and should be too busy to meet with us personally; Agnes, running a report to the previous person; Michel, a traitor and in jail; and the rest are random guards that we won't trust." Dove gave Louise another deadpan look, "Unless you've got a friend I don't know about, the only one I can figure being able to meet us is Agnes, and if it was her then we could have met up at the academy instead of traveling all the way here first."

"I'm sure it will work out," Louise replied, but her tone betrayed her real thoughts.

"Remember this moment, Louise," Dove told her in a teaching voice. "This is called lack of planning, or a double blind. One is an accident that will cost people lives on the battlefield while the other is intended to keep human error to a minimum in a test or to keep information from effecting the result, often putting those involved in peril. Let us hope that it is the second option this time around." Louise had nothing to say to that and could only nod somberly to Dove before turning around to start her work.

* * *

Dove washed her mixing bowl between batches of cupcakes. She smiled to herself, proud of what she had just heard from Jessica. The inn was filling up extremely fast for the noon meal. The patrons, a large group of men and a surprising number of women, had taken over the common area all requesting the latest pastries.

Apparently, word had gotten around that she was back at the Inn and that alone had brought in the sizable crowd in front of her. It felt very good to be so appreciated by people. Dove scrubbed a little harder at the bowl as if a shiny surface would improve the next batch of her creations.

"UGGH!" Dove looked up from her crusade of cooking to see Louise collapse onto the countertop just next to her.

"Customer trouble?" Dove asked with only a little bit of teasing.

"Not in the way you're thinking, Dove," Louise said mournfully.

This peaked Dove's interest. "Oh?" she inquired, "I thought you would still have the same problems as last time, what with people either unhappy with your figure or wanting you because of it. I would have thought that you would have tried serving the women this time around."

Louise clenched her hand as Dove laid out her blunt thoughts. "No, those ladies are even more frightening then the men," she said, shifting her rear uncomfortably where one such lady had touched her, "I have had someone ask after me specifically."

"Not that bald, nearsighted, overweight man from last time, right?" Dove asked, she was sure even he wouldn't dare come back after what Louise had done to him for his words the first time.

"Worse," Louise sighed, "Julio is here."

"Julio?" Dove asked as it took a moment to remember the Falman's real name. "Flirt-Priest?"

"Yeah, he asked for me," Louise explained. "I'm getting him more drinks. He says that Agnes sent him and that since we are stuck waiting that we should enjoy another bottle." She pulled a face as she didn't even want to think of having another cup of alcohol.

If she was completely drunk, then they might well miss whomever was supposed to meet up with them for the queen. That and she truly hated alcohol.

"If you wait a minute I'm sure that I can get you a bottle of urine," Dove offered with an innocent smile that had Louise wondering if Dove hadn't already done something to the bottles. Louise looked back at her table where Julio was sitting. He gave her a wave and held up a champagne glass in a tiny toast.

"No, but if you have anything that can knock his socks off it would be appreciated," Louise replied. Even if he deserved it, she decided that Dove's offer was too far. She glanced at the rack of alcohol as she also decided to ignore her concerns for the other bottles for now.

"If only I had some hard Honningbrew mead," Dove said mournfully, "or maybe some Redwater Skooma, that'd get his attention."

"I'm just going to guess that those are drinks from Skyrim," Louise said in an uncaring tone.

"Yup, one's a famous drink that's not for the faint of heart or liver," Dove answered, "and the other is a variant on an illegal narcotic that some like to add to water. The variation comes from the fact that the water is from a special shrine where the priest in residence went stone cold bonkers and murdered everyone before tossing their bodies in the fount. The waters have run red from there ever since."

"…I really didn't need to know that," Louise countered, leaning away from the manic smile on Dove's face. She picked up a bottle from the shelf farthest away from the Baroness, just to be safe, before starting to leave.

Dove chortled, "Come back when you want to hear some interesting tales, I'm in a bardic mood~." Louise prayed that this 'bardic mood' didn't last too long.

* * *

Julio watched Louise return from the counter after she finished talking to Baroness Bosquet. He sipped the wine in front of him as he revisited everything he had gathered about the woman. She was probably the more unique magic user he had ever met. She didn't use a wand yet could cast spells that had to be at least line class with ease and triangle with little to no discernable difficulty. Apparently, the Baroness also had a potion that could be dangerous both to the church and to the land if its ability became known to the commoners.

Superseding the potion itself was how the woman bartered with the potion, jealously guarding it and its recipe to only give out a few servings here and there at her whim. That was easily the most worrying aspect to the situation, as it showed that she didn't even trust him to give it to the Pope.

For a moment, a thought crossed his mind, 'Would she even trust the Pope with a serving if he asked?' He was unsettled by the possibility that the answer to that question was not an instant 'yes'.

'How can she be influenced so as to fall into line and follow the lead of the Church?' he wondered as he worked to get closer to the void mage. Creating moments like this one; sharing an embarrassing night, would improve his standing with her by showing that he was human as well, becoming more relatable and opening doors in their relationship.

"How is Dove?" he asked the pink-haired mage to start the conversation. "I have been generously keeping my distance to avoid applying pressure to her stressful duties."

"I think she's in the mood for stories about her homeland," Louise replied, shivering as she placed the bottle on the table, "and not the kind you tell kids before bed."

Julio raised his eyebrows. "Interesting, what were they about?" he asked, searching for a possible avenue to connect to the maid.

"I think she said something about spring of blood that was made by a mad priest," Louise explained, shuddering at the brutal imagery that Dove had so callously described. The mix of blood and religious frenzy that Dove had been implying had unsettled her.

"A mad priest?" Julio intruded, "That sounds like an interesting story. She said that she doesn't worship the founder, so who was this priest worshiping before he lost faith?"

Louise shrugged, "She didn't say, just that he went mad and murdered his congregation and placed them in the holy water turning it permanently red."

"Sounds gory," Julio said to keep the conversation going, "do you know if she follows the light of Brimir?"

Louise sighed, "She has talked about the 'Nine Divines' before and mentioned people like Akatosh and Sheogorath, but I think the latter belonged to some other group she called the Daedra."

"That's rather confusing," Julio replied. How could a place have more than one god? Or for that matter, have apparently two sets of gods.

"I think I might have gotten it mixed up somehow since I didn't ask for details," Louise said with a shake of her head as she sat down and started pouring drinks for the two of them.

"I'm sure you didn't get it too wrong, you're too smart to have forgotten something as important as what gods the Baroness worships if she had told you," Julio reassured with a smile.

Louise pondered that for a moment. She really couldn't remember Dove sitting down and just straight up telling her about what the elf believed except that one time when she was a dragon and it had ended badly. On the other hand, she also couldn't remember when she had sat down and told Dove what she believed in turn.

She was sure that, somehow, respecting the fact that they both just believed in different divinities was the cause of her lack of knowledge. They just never brought up god in their interactions and they worked better together because of it. Suddenly Louise felt like a bad follower of Brimir. She should have been preaching the word of the church to her unenlightened friend yet she wasn't, mostly because she was afraid of annoyed dragon rain, but she should have at least brought it up. Even if she knew that it was unreasonable, Louise still felt like she should talk with her familiar about it. Albeit perhaps a more delicate approach than the, 'believe me because I'm your master' was warranted seeing as Louise was in no hurry to rankle Dovahkiin's ire.

"What has drawn you into that pretty head of yours, Louise?"

Louise blinked and looked up from her drink to Julio. "I'm sorry, what was it you were saying?" she asked to cover her distracted state.

"I was asking what had grabbed your attention," Julio repeated, smiling ruefully. "I was trying to ask you about the Daedra but you seemed to be lost in your own little world."

Louise blushed and looked back at Dove just as the other woman started mixing her next batch of delicacies. "I was thinking about Dove and how often we talk about religion," Louise admitted. Julio made a good sound board for her thoughts; maybe being easy to talk to was a requirement to be a priest.

"What have you been talking about from her about religion?" Julio prompted.

"That's the thing, nothing," Louise sighed. "I'm a bit afraid I failed the church by not educating Dove about the Founder. I don't think she will become a follower, but I feel like I have failed because I haven't tried."

Julio sighed and gave Louise a smile. "It's never too late to talk to her about the Church, you know. She can always join now, even if she walked the wrong path to Heaven with her belief in heathen gods. So long as she recognizes the true judgement of Brimir, there is nothing to fear. The Church hasn't had a true 'convert' in many years, as even the commoners have aspired to the purity and holiness of the Pope. If even the common rabble see the light of Brimir, surely Dove can see it's truth as well." Julio mentally added, 'Her talents and potion would have to be monitored, but maybe if she was called to be a nun, there was a possible place for her in the church to continue working'.

Louise surprised Julio by laughing out loud at his words. Once she had calmed down, she explained, "It's not as simple as that, unluckily. While I don't quite understand most parts of her religion that we have talked about, I can't help but be awed by her conviction when we are discussing her beliefs. It's like she's sat down and talked to most of the beings she speaks of instead of quoting scripture."

"In what way?" Julio asked, intrigued at such a foolish notion as a mortal talking to a god.

"She talks about her gods like someone would talk about their relatives," Louise answered slowly, putting the thoughts together herself. "Some they don't like and some they do, some are estranged but others live in the next house over. That kind of talking."

"Familiarity with gods?" Julio was having a hard time picturing the woman behind the counter in any of the scenes of Heaven he had imagined. The thought of her sitting down next to some heavenly man on a throne of clouds and just chatting to him seemed simply ludicrous.

"That's the best way I can describe it," Louise said with a shrug and a sip from her cup as if the drink would help her understand her own words.

Julio looked thoughtful for a moment before voicing his thoughts, "Why don't we call her over and ask about her religion and why she's so connected to it?"

Louise looked up confused, "Ask her? I guess there isn't any other way to really learn about it, but why would we want to ask? Neither of us wants to convert to her religion and she doesn't want to become a follower of Brimir." Internally she was remembering the time she tried to talk to Dove about Brimir. The sudden rain and angry visage of Dovahkiin had locked itself in her mind, a reminder that Dovahkiin could get very mad, and a mad Dovahkiin was a force of nature unto itself.

"It may be true that we don't want to convert to her gods," Julio replied, deciding to take the much gentler way of conversion than many of the Church's more famous methods, "but if we don't even understand the basis of her faith then how could we convince her to join ours?" He really needed this conversation to happen to figure out just what made the woman tick.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Louise said, trying to stall the conflict that would inevitably ensue. "She can be rather aggressive when pushed around."

Julio waved off her concerns, "You said she was in a 'mood for stories about her homeland,' so perhaps she would be willing to tell us a tale or two that mention her religion directly. Maybe even the tales of her gods."

Louise couldn't think of a response before Julio waved over to the kitchen trying to get Dove's attention. Dove had, thankfully, bent over to pull her cupcakes from the oven just in time to miss his hand going up. As he determinedly kept it in the air to draw Dove's attention, he accidently caught the interest of the eccentrically clad owner.

"Is there something we can help you with misère?" came the effeminate voice of Mi Mademoiselle, pulling the blonde priest's attention in that direction.

"Oh, not right now, I was hoping to have a conversation with the cook," he replied as he tried to think of a reason to give the man. "I happen to know her and was hoping that I could catch up with her."

Scarron smiled but shook his head at the same time, "I am sorry misère, but miss Dove is currently working right now and it would be rude of us to interrupt her while she is creating such masterful delicacies as those cupcakes." Scarron didn't like saying 'no' to a customer, but he knew Dove well enough to know that she didn't like interruptions in her kitchens. Such distractions could be disastrous for the food.

Julio winced internally as he was denied, but decided that he would have to respect this boundary for now for the sake of the Queen's mission.

"Alright," he said with a sad smile, "I'll have to catch up with her after work then, do you know when that would be my good sir?" Julio was taken aback when the man in a dress suddenly gave a tiny gasp, as if offended.

"Sir? Sir! I'll have you know my good man that I am Mi Mademoiselle, the lovely owner of this charming little inn. I am not a 'Sir' at all," the obviously male individual said in a huff.

Julio gave a smile. "I'm sorry Mi Mademoiselle. I was mistaken," he quickly said to appease his host, "Still, may I know when my friend, Dove, finishes work so that I might have the chance to reconnect with her?"

"Aww," Scarron cried out, clasping his hands together and wiggling as if he was about to explode, "Such a well-mannered young man! I'm sure she will be off sometime after dinner, you are welcome to stay until that time. Until then, I hope you will enjoy our fine company."

Julio remained smiling as he accepted the man's words. It looked like he would have to wait to pick at Dove's mind some other time. He was a little discontented with that but she wasn't going anywhere for now and he could approach her at the academy or later tonight.

As the regular workers of the Charming Fairy Inn brought out some of Dove's creations, Julio found himself content with enjoying the food and drink more than before. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad waiting for Dove to get off later, especially if he could try more of whatever was in his cup.

* * *

 **I'll give you five guesses on what's in that cup.**

 **1\. Milk**

 **2\. lemon juice**

 **3\. Urine**

 **4\. Other (Stronger) alcohol**

 **5\. sugar, spice and everything nice (with a little bit of dirt off the ground)**

 **Anyway. I want to wish every reader a happy, Christmas, Hanukkah, Ramadan, Kwanzas, or any other holiday you celebrate around this time.**


	44. Chapter 44

**man in boxer underwear and red winter jacket comes running out of his house.**

 **HEY YOU!**

 **Person in red and white clothes jerks from where it stands by the chimney.**

 **huh? Whaaaa-!**

 **Sciiiii "WHOH" iiiid**

 **Red person slides off the roof and hits the ground.**

 **THUD.**

 **Man in Boxers after a moment comes up and nudges the person's foot.**

 **"you who? Hey, buddy."**

 **No responce.**

 **"Okay, you should just stay still. Perfect."**

 **the door to the house opens and a little kid comes running out.**

 **"YOU GOT HIM!"**

 **"Charley will you stay- Charley listen to me," Tim Allen in boxers says.**

 **"It is santa," Carley gasps as he sees the fallen body.**

 **"Ow. No kid, my names Snipern0sniping, a fanfiction writer whose stuck in an intro that has gone on long enough."**

 **Both normal people share a look as the 'Santa' person stands up and looks at the hidden camera.**

 **I don't own Familiar of Zero or Skyrim. Now I need a tylenol.**

* * *

 **That hurt.**

 **Touhou is Life: That would be so cool and so awkward at the same time.**

 **Guest000: And just now I got suprised by Tim Allen on the roof. No gods vs god arguments this time, the priest is too drunk.**

 **XInsanitXGuiltechXShadowwindX: Maybe.**

 **Akshka: No personal Sheo involvement, but fun times are ahead.**

 **NuggetMuncher: CHICKEN! Why are we shouting random things?**

 **weather witch nami-zo: I don't think that would work. Vampirism takes time to fully turn a person so it won't work as spectacularly as we would want.**

 **Guy passing by: More like an implied option.**

 **Guest: A confrontation between the two amuses my thoughts almost every day.**

 **Guest: Then I'm writing him well.**

 **Dodles: Thanks, Why five? I gave it for fun.**

 **dspendragon125: In a way she did.**

 **Telron: In a fashion you're right.**

 **Cheese PuffXx: Yes, power puff girls familiar of zero. :}**

 **XSDStitch: There will be a gargle blaster level events from this.**

 **A.M.C: That would have been so much fun.**

 **RedBurningDragon: Between the two of them... I think Dove would win in a 'conversation' between the two churches.**

 **helkil: Well, I guess I am a tease based on this story.**

 **Blackholelord: Thank you. I really love hearing people say that they have finally reached the latest chapter and love my story. :]**

 **grey: Sanguine is involved.**

 **Inuyasha-loves-Hanyou-Kagome: Something like that.**

 **amimai002: I love your review, although I have to ask; how does a love interest equal to a hobby? Kirche is currently... in her bed wishing she had a guy to scratch the itch instead of her fingers.**

 **Shadow-Kage-14: All of the above would spell pure chaos.**

 **Rotox: I don't think Dove is the listener or anything like that. I need to find my list of who Dove as had dealings with.**

 **pedrofaria339: Yup.**

 **TheENDstyler: This is how it would go in the next chapter ;)**

 **perfectshade: I'm glad I wrote Louise and Dove well, I had to reread my chapter to make sure I got that right. I actually think that if this chapter in cannon happened in real life, then Saito and the Queen would have died during this part of the story. I think that Julio can sweet talk anyone, it just makes the bystanders, us, really uncomfortable.**

 **Guest(Dovgrahdeen): No tales for now so no fighting with the church yet, Sorry.**

 **UNSC Know Your Place: Of course.**

* * *

Dove watched the rowdy table with equal parts amusement and worry. She had noticed the table when the third girl moved to take care of the patron; not many visitors needed more than one or two if they were drinkers. To have three girls serving meant that whomever was seated there had a seasoned liver.

It was kind of funny to her since she knew that no one here could handle anything as strong as Nordic ale, but someone requiring three girls to serve him instantly qualified as a 'strong stomach' in this country. The worry, however, came when she caught a better look at the table and realized that it was Julio's table that had drawn so much attention.

Just how unholy was this priest? He was an unrepentant flirt and now he qualified as a strong drinker in this country? A stomach strong enough to drink as much as that table was getting took years to create.

"He's going to be like that all night."

Dove frowned and turned towards the male voice behind her; the last she checked, she was the only one in the kitchen.

"…"

"…"

"NO!"

"What's wrong?" he asked, smiling widely at the maid. Standing before her was Sanguine, Daedric Prince of debauchery. In his current form, red and black skin that on his head gave way to the distinctive Daedric horns while the usual armor was replaced with…Oh nine help her.

"Please tell me your just here for a chat?" Dove pleaded.

"I guess," Sanguine answered in a tone that gave away the blatant lie. "Sheo asked me to visit, he said something along the lines of, 'The fans want it, so make it bubbly'."

Ignoring the complete nonsense that was Sheogorath, Dove bemoaned, "But why the uniform?"

"It helps me blend in," Sanguine explained, adjusting his forest green Charming Fairies Inn uniform.

"You're over six feet tall, muscled like a gladiator, in the form of a Dremora, and male," Dove deadpanned, "You're not going to blend in."

Sanguine gasped and clutched at his chest, "How could you? Remember? I can look like anyone, only you see me like this, everyone else sees-"

The being's shape flickered and standing in front of Dove was a familiar petite girl with pink hair and a large chest.

Dove banged her head on the table, "You're impersonating Louise."

"No," the girl said in a light, melodious voice, "Louise doesn't have knockers this large and her uniform is white."

Dove shook her head in despair. Trying to find something to make her forget the Daedric Prince in the room, she watched one of the girls leave the table with another two empty bottles in her hands. They would be added to the box of empties that she would have to take out later. She frowned as she looked at the box with the newly emptied containers. It was already full and soon would be overflowing.

Julio really needed to stop or else they might miss the person that they were supposed to be meeting here. Dove's frown grew deeper as she thought about just how badly this plan had been screwed up. Since they didn't know who they were meeting then just anyone could come in and claim to be their contact and they would have no way of knowing if this hypothetical person was telling the truth.

"I'm taking out the trash," Dove called out to Jessica as she passed nearby.

"And don't you dare-" Sanguine was already gone with a pair of bottles before Dove finished speaking. She took a long, slow breath before mentally washing her hands of any problems the glamoured, crossdressing daedra caused. She then slipped out from behind the table and picked up the 'empties box'. Some time standing in the cool night air might do her nerves some good.

Dove moved around the kitchen with her cargo and booted the door open. The owner's daughter nodded to Dove as she passed, hoping that the woman didn't take too long since she really wanted to know if what she thought she had noticed was true.

Glancing at the clock, Jessica noticed that it was still hours until they needed to leave to get ready for the play. She didn't need to worry Jessica thought shaking her head and smiling in anticipation, there was plenty of time for her fun.

Dove looked up and down the alleyway as she tried to find the barrel for the bottles. She didn't see it towards the opening in the alley so it must be deeper in the back. She had just turned and started to walk down the narrow walkway when someone ran into her back. With a yelp, Dove stumbled and nearly fell flat on the ground. As it was the bottles spilled out of her box and caused a huge mess of broken glass in the alleyway. After a pause to look at the broken glass, the maid sighed; of course it would be her who would need to clean that up.

"Hello," she said turning around to face whomever had knocked into her, "Is there a reason why you're running down a dark alley- oh, you've got to be kidding me."

"Dove, is that you?" The princess, the Nine damned PRINCESS OF ALL PEOPLE, standing out in the dark without any guards whatsoever.

"Yes, now mind telling me why you're here? And why you're apparently still using the exact same cloak every single time you sneak out?" Dove asked, knowing that this situation, no matter what reason the Queen had for causing it, would bring on a massive headache.

"I need your help," Henrietta replied quickly while glancing back down the way she came.

"Don't do that," Dove snapped, "If someone is following you then I'll tell you about them and looking back in a dark cloak in an alley at night makes you look suspicious to every passerby instead of just whomever you're hiding from."

The Queen blinked before taking Dove's advice and returning her attention to her. She still couldn't repress a shiver as she turned her back to the open ally.

Just as she did so a trio of voices sprung up from the street, "Check over there, she might have gone to the Kurdone alley! Make Haste!"

"Yes, sir!" two other men's voices responded.

"So," Dove said as she dispassionately watched the men in armor race by the entrance, "Any reason your own men are looking for you late at night?"

"Let's get off the street first," Henrietta answered, motioning to the inn. She didn't want another close encounter. Dove had to agree to that and led the way in.

-[]-

Jessica looked back over her shoulder as the door to the alleyway opened. She blinked as Dove let in a small, dark, figure. The maid whispered to the figure and pointed to the stairs causing the person to nod. She could only really see the person's chin so there wasn't much she could use to identify the figure.

Dove walked up to Jessica as the person moved towards the stairs. "Don't tell anyone," Dove said quietly, "We'll be out of here soon."

"What about the play?" Jessica asked. "I thought you guys were going to help us put it on."

"Louise can help," Dove responded, looking at how busy the pink-haired mage was. She was moving between tables with a sultry smile as she plied the patrons with drink before moving just out of reach as one man tried to fondle her. Wait, that was Sanguine, Louise was still sitting head down in despair at the busiest table, "I need to handle this first so I might miss it."

"Okay," Jessica said with a sad expression, she had wanted to see if what she had picked up on was true. "I'll hope to see ya' then," she told the maid before grinning as an idea occurred to her.

With a sudden move, Jessica caught the back of Dove's neck and leaned in. Caught off guard, Dove blinked but did not otherwise react as Jessica restrained her. The maid gave a jump, however, when Jessica finished the move a soft kiss. Dove's mind shorted for a moment and relaxed into the sensation of lips before stiffening and pulling back sharply.

"What was that for!" Dove exclaimed, shocked at the action but unable to stop looking at Jessica's victorious grin.

"Just confirming something," the black-haired woman replied with a pleased smile.

Dove stood there for a moment as she tried to figure out what Jessica could have meant. She blushed (cutely in Jessica's most experienced opinion) and fled up the stairs when she realized what her coworker was getting at.

Jessica went back to work, this time sporting a pleased cheshire grin.

* * *

Henrietta looked up as Dove opened and closed the door to the small attic room behind her.

"Is something wrong?" she asked when she saw how red Dove's face was.

"NO!" Dove answered in a tone that basically ordered the Queen to stop asking. "So, what do you need from Louise and I that you apparently can't get from the palace?"

"I need a bodyguard for the next few hours," she explained, removing her hooded cloak. Beneath the thick fabric was a beautiful royal white dress.

"And you couldn't use the literal army of men and women at your disposal, including a corps of women specifically designated for that task, because...?" Dove asked dryly. This plan was already sounding badly thought out as she learned more about it.

"I must act undercover," Henrietta replied, "Any recognized member of my guard would bring more attention down on us."

"So, you thought to get your known childhood friend and me to do it?" Dove was in a sardonic mood, "Just how dangerous is this bodyguard request going to be?"

"..."

The Baroness sighed as she noticed that the Queen's face had frozen at her question. "I guess that I can keep you safe for a night since it's already dark out, but after that..."

"That should be long enough, thank you," Henrietta said quickly, unhappy at the Baroness's grumbling but also feeling like she couldn't exactly blame her because it was her plan that was at fault.

"Let's get Louise and go," Henrietta suggested. Her unhappiness could wait, they had a mission to complete.

"Not so fast," Dove interjected with a raised hand, "There will be no Louise for this, she has less

experience and would draw more attention to us."

"But-"

"No," the Baroness overrode the monarch, "She is still growing up and would be a liability on this mission, if you had done this a few months from now then I would have no issue including her but as of right now, she isn't ready for this level of stealth in a commoner's area."

Dove looked Henrietta up and down as she explained her reasoning to the Queen. "We would need some other kind of clothes," she finished off her thoughts by looking around the room. There weren't any clothes here, the room was mostly used as a storage area, but Dove spotted something wearable after a moment or two.

"Let's see, what is this?" she pondered aloud, lifting a lid on a chest that had a bit of fabric sticking out. "Ah, I guess this is where Louise stuck her clothes when she changed into her work uniform."

Dove turned around to hand them over to Henrietta. "Here, change," She ordered as she tossed them over. Henrietta silently started slipping out of her dress while Dove watched the door.

"I don't think you need to do that," Henrietta commented as her white dress came off entirely leaving her in only her panties and bra, "It's not like anyone is going to come in here since everything is happening downstairs."

"I'm just making sure," Dove said without looking around, her face was getting the same blush from when Jessica had kissed her as the sound of falling clothes tickled at her ears. Henrietta just shook her head and pulled the skirt up. It was a little short, but she felt that it was supposed to be that way anyways.

Dove watched the door as impassively as she could, but that was slipping as Henrietta huffed in the room behind her. "Great, this shirt is so small. I don't think I can fit under it." An odd sensation passed through Dove as she listened silently to Henrietta's complaints.

"Okay, I'm ready to go," Henrietta announced as she buttoned the highest button she could comfortably secure on the blouse. Dove turned around and sighed. The skirt was only about an inch and a half longer than decent without requiring thigh high stockings while the blouse was about two buttons short of being fully closed. She would draw a lot of attention from the army men dressed like that.

"We need to do something about your hair at least," Dove decided after a bit of staring. "Do you have anything else that might help disguise yourself?"

"I have some lipstick but that's it," Henrietta told her with a shrug.

"Put it on," Dove said. Henrietta was known by most with her naturally beautiful face so every little bit of change to her attire they could get to differentiate herself from her public appearance would help. As Henrietta carried out Dove's command, the maid found a piece of twine to pull her short hair into a loose ponytail.

"I guess that's the best we can do," Dove commented, looking the Queen over. She looked a lot more common than before, more simple. "So, where are we supposed to hide?" she asked. "We could stay here for a bit but I think the guards will be passing by soon."

"I have set up a room in an inn a few streets over from here, the inn keeper will keep silent about us taking a room," Henrietta responded. "We would be safe since the guards won't bother considering every room."

"Got it," Dove replied, "So we just need to get there."

"Exactly," Henrietta nodded.

* * *

Dove looked around the corner and hissed to herself. Slipping out of the Charming Fairies Inn with Henrietta back under the cloak hadn't been hard, even if Jessica gave her a wink that had caused her to feel a little hot and bothered, and the streets also hadn't been too difficult to get through. The problem came when they reached a crossroads about three street corners from their destination.

The guards must have left the area inside this ring of houses so open because they had known that this spot was a natural choke point. From the way the city had been constructed whomever was trying to get out of the city on foot needed to go through this spot. The two were stuck standing in the alley just in front of the choke point waiting for the strict patrols to come to them, catching anyone sneaking through the streets between the two of them.

"The guards will be looking for me," Henrietta said, "any aristocrat will be considered and anyone in a hood will draw attention."

"Good thing neither of us look like aristocrats," Dove murmured before saying in a louder voice, "I think that you'll need to leave the cloak behind." Henrietta looked down at her beloved cloak as a tiny depression set in at the notion that it would leave her, before hiding it in a nearby barrel.

"Still need to think of a way through the guards. I don't think we can scale the walls," Dove said thoughtfully.

"Let's just walk through them," Henrietta suggested with a smirk.

Dove blinked, "What?"

"If we walk fast and together then we shouldn't be bothered," Henrietta explained with a nod.

"That only works if we make the guards uncomfortable enough that they want us to leave them alone," Dove replied. "If one of us was a guy and we were 'obviously' together then it might have worked."

'Unless…' Dove looked back at Henrietta with a frown. She might not enjoy this idea.

-[]-

"Okay, you can go," Darald said to two young men as they cleared the checkpoint. He looked around, hoping that his shift would end soon and he could get out of the cold back to the barracks where there was a fire. As his eyes took in the street, they widened. Down the road and coming closer were two women. One was wearing a soft, black, unadorned dress, she looked ahead apparently without even noticing the guards.

Her gait was confidant and her clothes, while unadorned, were well made like soft under clothes. She looked wealthy but no adorning jewelry hinted that she was a commoner instead of noble. The second woman was shorter than the first with purple hair. She wore a wide white apron with a rather open and tight blouse and short skirt underneath, finishing the look off with a maid's head piece. Her eyes stayed submissively on the ground, the only way she knew which way to go was because she could see the first woman's feet at the top of her vision.

The first guard watched them pass in lustful awe, as they got closer he realized that the bottom of the second woman's shirt was rolled up to the opening in her shirt buttons, turning the shirt into an over exaggerated brassiere, emphasizing her bust and let her midriff show. The second and third guards let the bizarre sight through them without a word. Darald quickly moved since no one else was apparently going to ask the questions.

"Halt," He ordered as he positioned himself in the middle of the road. The first woman stopped and looked at him with an annoyed expression.

"Can't this wait?" she asked haughtily, "My pet needs her walk before being put in for the night."

The second woman as well as several of the watching men blushed red at their own interpretations of that sentence.

"I'm sorry… ah, Miss," Darald replied, off balance due to the conflicting class signals preventing him from figuring out how to address the woman. "I just need to ask you where you're going and look at your faces," he finished with a mental reminder of his duty to help him along.

"We were going for a walk before returning to my room so that I can put her in her sleeping pen and get under cover before the rain starts," the obviously superior woman said imperiously. The air had started to feel heavy and despite the dark night, everyone could tell that rain was coming. "Now I've told you what I'm doing twice, move aside."

Darald stuttered as he stood there trying to figure out what to do. The woman huffed and then snapped her fingers as she led the second woman around the guard and back down the road before he gathered his wits enough to realize that he couldn't quite remember the second woman's face.

-[]-

"We should be good now," Dove said as they rounded the corner and were out of sight of the guards. Henrietta instantly pulled Dove's head piece out of her hair and unrolled Louise's shirt.

"That was embarrassing," the Queen stated as she pulled the apron over her head and handed it back to the baroness.

"Agreed," Dove responded as she reclaimed her items. She shivered as she felt her own relief, glad that the guards didn't realized that her own clothes were technically an underdress, the softest one she owned. "I don't think we need to mention these last few moments to others," Dove suggested as she slid her apron over her head with a sigh. She really had become attached to this outfit.

"Agreed," Henrietta repeated with unnecessary formality. With that, both women set to walking, too embarrassed to break the silence.

"... So, that inn is how far away?" Dove started, trying to further break the awkward pause. The promised rain suddenly came down on the two of them, heavy and hard.

"Down this street," Henrietta answered with a shiver as she started to get soaked, causing Dove to set off in the new direction.

* * *

The two women came into the room single file, Dove raking the room with her eyes for anything out of place.

"Clear," she announced before moving to sit down on the only chair in the room, leaving the bed for the Queen. The room was about ten feet across by twenty-five deep, a table, chair and bed were the only fixtures in the room but it was a little crowded even with just those three items. A window on the far wall would have let the light in if it was day but now just showed the dark street instead.

Henrietta smiled, a little bit of humor peeking out of this situation, "You know, Agnes says the exact same thing whenever she checks a room for me to stay in."

"There must be a reason for that," Dove replied with a smile, appreciating the comparison to the woman. "Where is Agnes anyway?" she asked after a moment, "I would have thought that you would have had at least her by your side."

"She is performing what is probably the most important task in this operation, more important than even my safety," Henrietta told the maid with a serious face, her tone bleeding conviction.

"So, that keeps her away, what about the other musketeers?" Dove asked for conversation and curiosities sake, "Shouldn't any of them be willing to come with you?"

"They needed to be kept in the dark or this plan wouldn't work," Henrietta explained, a shiver suddenly racked her.

"What's wrong?" Dove asked, "Are you cold?"

"A little," Henrietta admitted, eying the Baroness. "How can I not be cold? These cloths are rather thin, like yours."

Dove frowned and sat down on the bed next to the Queen. "My clothes are a little thicker," she responded, "but I also come from a land where some regions are basically in an eternal winter. There is always snow on the ground." Dove lifted her hand and felt the burning sting of her fire spell flash through her arm. Opening her palm, Dove held a grapefruit sized flame that she held very close to the purple haired girl's body.

Henrietta jumped a bit at the sudden flame and her eyes widened when Dove moved it closer to her. But before she could move away from the fire, Dove's other hand lifted the blanket off the bed and laid it over her shoulders.

"So, the Nords found ways to make themselves as warm as possible," Dove said softly. She didn't feel the heat or her creation since Henrietta needed it, but she also didn't feel the cold from her clothes. Henrietta's shivering slowed as Dove's flame heated her up. She looked at the other woman.

"What is your home like?" She asked. She never had heard a straight description of the land Dove had come from and was interested.

"Cold, about half of the land has snow all year round," Dove said, seeing Skyrim in her mind's eye. "It's also pockmarked with old ruins, ancient burial mounds and even older lost cities where the dead don't always stay down. It's a little frightening at times."

Henrietta looked at her in consternation. 'Dead that don't stay down?' she thought with another shiver. "Sounds rather sad," she hedged, unsure of Dove's reaction to that sentiment.

"It can be," the elf agreed, "but then you just climb a mountain and just look out across the land, all of your sadness will vanish in a heartbeat. It doesn't matter which direction you look, up, down, left, or right, you will see something truly beautiful that makes you forget what could be wrong." Henrietta wished that her world worked like that, where everything was beautiful enough to make you forget your troubles.

"Your world is also beautiful," the maid pronounced, apparently reading her mind.

"I don't really think it is," Henrietta denied. The war was only a few weeks old and it was already dragging on the young ruler's outlook.

"You have a flying island and don't have to worry about frostbite while taking a leak," Dove argued sagely, "Those things alone are something incredible to experience in your land."

"You've got to be exaggerating about the cold," Henrietta countered, shaking her head.

"Nope, I knew a guy at the college of Winterhold who fell into the ocean just behind the castle and froze to death about ten paces out of the water," Dove explained with a shudder. Henrietta was about to respond when a loud hammering on the door startled her and pulled Dove's attention to it.

"OPEN UP," a loud man's voice from outside called through the wood, "We're from the castle. It's an emergency! We'll force this door open to search if we must!" Dove hissed and pulled Henrietta down onto the floor. The guard outside apparently didn't want to wait and started bashing his body against the door.

'A little overzealous don't you think?' Dove thought a bit hypocritically at the man. "Sorry, only thing I can think of," she hissed to the shocked monarch kneeling on the ground in front of her.

-[]-

Two army patrolmen had been walking the streets together when they had seen two women figures run down the street, nothing too suspicious when you consider the rain that had been falling for the last five minutes. What had been suspicious was the fact that the two had stopped and knocked at an inn that had a closed sign hanging on the door. Watching the two, they had been surprised when the door opened and let the two in despite the signs' proclamation.

After a minute to see if they would come back out, the two had come in to ask their questions.

The inn keeper, at the sight of the two armored men marching into his inn, helpfully told the two anything they wanted. The man's answers about the two he had just let in from outside were that they were a pair of private women and that he didn't know who they were or what they were doing, just that one of them had paid in advance for a room for the night. Apart from that the owner only knew which room they had been given for the night.

Smelling a rat, the two had been led to the door and demanded entrance. No response from within was forthcoming. Taking matters into their own hands, the (Correctly guessed) overzealous guards quickly bashed their way into the room. The two patrol guards that stumbled into the room both blinked and then blushed at the sight at the edge of the bed.

"Harder or you're going to be punished before bed," the woman on the bed cried as she squeezed her breast through her dress with one hand. The other was apparently directing a large, moving, lump high up on her dress that a second pair of hips sticking out from under side dress in a short skirt made all too easy to identify.

Both men blushed bright red and took a step back from the room.

"Ohhh, yes~," the women on the bed gasped as she rocked her hips getting a similar moan from under her dress. After a moment, the two guards fully rebooted their brains and stepped back out of the room, hoping that the women were too engaged to notice their interruption. Both didn't want furious women after them. That, and maybe one of them would be willing to being with them later if they approached them in a different setting.

Dove stopped moaning after the guards left and quickly got up to close the door.

"Again, I'm sorry," she apologized, turning around to look at the Queen. Henrietta was still kneeling on the ground in a little bit of a daze.

Dove frowned and moved to crouch down next to her, "Henrietta? You going to be alright?" The startled look on the Queen's face had Dove hoping that the monarch wasn't offended by her impromptu sexual assault. Henrietta looked like she was considering something.

"Yes," she finally muttered, then turned to look Dove straight in the eye and blurted out, "Dove, are you lesbian?"

Dove flushed a bit at the sudden question but answered honestly, "Yes. Does that make you uncomfortable?"

"Not when you don't have me pinned between your legs," Henrietta responded with an awkward shrug.

"How could you tell?" Dove asked as she shifted to sitting at the table and the Queen on the bed.

Henrietta's face blushed as red as the guards who had been in there only seconds ago had been. "...I could tell," she eventually whispered, not trying to explain further.

"Ah," Dove said, just as mortified as Henrietta was. She prayed that this mission ended soon before the both died of embarrassment.

* * *

 **This time of year hates me.**

 **first Santa drive by**

 **then I fell of the roof pretending to be Santa.**

 **I need a rest.**

 **Anyway,**

 **PLACE YOUR BETS!**

 **Julio wakes up...**

 **In a ransacked church.**

 **Spooning with a Hobo.**

 **Dressed in very convincing drag.**

 **In bed with Sanguine.**

 **Fan suggestion.**

 **Merry christmas, happy Hanukkah, good Ramadan, peaceful Kwanzas, and good will to you all.**


	45. Chapter 45

**Happy New Year.**

 **Shoot, This was supposed to be uploaded before midnight.**

 **So technically this is coming to you not on New Years.**

 **Dang.**

 **Skyrim will be mine, Familiar of Zero will be mine.**

 **Neither** **are yet.**

* * *

 **Mad God... ERROR**

 **ERROR...ERROR**

 **ERROR...ERROR.**

 **Well, you guys broke it.**

 **I can't believe how many awesome/funny/jaw dropping ideas you guys made off of my six suggested outcomes.**

 **I don't think I've had this many reviews since the time I wrote a really bad chapter and was told to take it down _now!_**

 **SO.**

 **To hit the highlights, based on reviews the chances of these happening to Julio are...**

 **Waking up in bed, with or without Sanquine; 95%**

 **Convincing Drag; 65%**

 **ransacked church; 35%**

 **Spooning SOMEONE; 95%**

 **Unique Fan suggestion...**

 **What was that About Durnivrr in latex with a riding whip?**

 **How would a dragon even use that?**

 **Unique Fan Suggestion; I refuse to give a percentage chance.**

* * *

Louise looked desperately around the street. She had been almost laid out across the table from both boredom and alcohol buzz before realizing that something was wrong. On a side note, Louise now officially hated toasting. After their talk, Julio had taken to toasting this and that every few minutes. He honored the inn, saluted the girls, toasted the other patrons, and drank to everything he could think of and then some.

About thirty drinks later, Louise had found herself looking for Dove. Her patience had run out and she wanted that bottle of piss to give to Julio. To her shock, she had found only Jessica behind the counter. Apparently, their contact had arrived and Dove had gone off with the mysterious person, leaving her stuck with an increasingly drunk priest.

Louise huffed and pulled the cloak tighter around her. Rather than stay in that little circle of drunkards and servers, Louise had left to search the town for Dove; it was a much better use of her time than sitting around trying to hold down another gulp. As she left, another 'woman' who looked a lot like Louise sat down in her spot, smiling pleasantly at the tipsy priest and preparing for a fun night.

Unaware of the daedric plot occurring behind the closed doors of the Inn, Louise marched onwards down the road, ignoring the fact that she was getting little cold from the rain since her temper kept her warm. There was a little cloud of hot air that marched in front of her as she muttered under her breath, the mist almost seeming to part the rain. Her grumbling about stupid plans and vanishing familiars, however, was paused when she started to see past the angry haze.

There were a lot of men running around the streets. They were ordinary individuals, men and women hurrying along under cloaks to get to their destination and out of the cold rain like you would normally expect to find around this time of night, but the ones who stood out were the men in armor.

Towns in Tristian had guards that would patrol the streets on the lookout for trouble or to lend aid to passerby's in need. With the war those patrols had been doubled in every town. This town however, was right at the foot of the palace and as such it had tripled its guard patrols for obvious reasons.

Even with all that, the number of men in armor passing Louise by right now was simply too much, even for such measures. Every guard in the town, on duty or not, must have been out there on patrol.

Something bad must have happened.

-[]-

Ducking around a bend in the road, Louise blinked when her eyes found a small crowd of people standing in the rather dim light from the street lamps. They were all facing the same direction and were moving slowly, as if only one or two people in the group was being let through at any given time.

Frowning curiously, Louise walked diagonally to the left to get a view of the street beyond the mass of people. They were apparently standing in the middle of the street around a line of guards that were checking everyone who came up to them one at a time.

A check point in the middle of the town, this had to be a problem. Louise bit her lip as she watched the guards carefully search every man and woman who passed them, their body language radiating urgency as they searched.

Louise narrowed her eyes as a thought occurred to her. They were supposed to meet up with someone, that she didn't get the name of because as Dove pointed out; lack of planning, and now the streets were being swarmed by guards and checkpoints were being set up around the town?

She smelled a rat.

Another thought suddenly occurred to the mage that caused Louise to smile before she set off down the street away from the checkpoint. 'Dove would be so proud of me.' She was thinking things through more than before.

* * *

Agnes followed her target down the street. She had been following this man for the better part of the afternoon and early evening after he 'secretly' met with Lishman once she had 'spoken' with the evil man.

The plan that the Queen had come up with was a rather good one. They had evidence that he had committed treason and was consorting with the enemy, now they were hunting down his contact to the Reconquista.

To find just how large this operation was, the Queen had escaped from the palace making it look like she had been kidnapped. After that, Agnes had asked Lishman, the Chair President of Legal Affairs, to sign a writ to place blockades on the main roads while she had stayed behind to watch the traitor's next move.

The corrupt man hadn't disappointed her and had met with the shady character she was currently following an hour later outside his manor. If she could follow him to who he was meeting, then they could take out the entire weed in their government instead of breaking the stalk.

The biggest flaw in their plan, however, the one that made the captain of the Musketeers antsy, was that it required the Queen to leave her guards behind without telling most of them what was happening. If the ruse wasn't completely believable then it would fall apart.

However, she contented herself with the knowledge that the Queen was being guarded by the two most powerful mages in the kingdom. As that thought comforted her, Agnes noted that the man she was following was now passing into palace town.

Continuing on her last thought, Agnes considered the Queen's unofficial guards. Louise was part of a taskforce that work directly with the Queen and was the most experienced with the magicka potion's gifts. Also, she was the Queen's childhood friend, so there was that for added incentive.

Baroness Dove Bosquet, on the other hand, seemed to be very close to the young woman and would help her accomplish her goals. As the creator of the magicka potion, she worked and often spent a lot of time with Louise to help her use her powerful gift.

On a related note, Lela was now 'combat ready' per the woman's word, so Louise should also be as skilled with this wandless magic. Agnes was already receiving requests from members under her command to take the potion and gain magic of their own.

If she was honest, Agnes didn't quite know how to qualify the Baroness. She seemed to be capable of holding her own in combat, an oddity for mages who weren't from military families, and had strange ways of using her magic that Agnes had never heard of before.

There was something else bothering Agnes about the Baroness, though. She couldn't put her finger on it right now, but something about the time when the other woman had shouted at her over the difference between Magic and 'magicka' and the anger she had shown when Agnes had critiqued her song praising the dragonborn.

Agnes could feel that there was something important she had missed from both of the woman's angry outbursts, but whenever it was had escaped her at the moment. Either way it didn't matter right now, she had a man to follow so that the Queen could return to her side.

"Agnes?" The before mentioned Musketeer was pulled up short by the familiar voice that came from the cross street she had passed. Turning around, Agnes was greeted by the sight of Louise Valliere standing on the street clad in a rather large brown cloak and hood.

And not with the Queen, protecting her from the many dangers that came with war time.

Agnes felt as if her insides had been seized and then strangled by icy hands at the implications.

"It is you!" Louise cried, not noticing the other woman's stricken expression while moving closer to the captain. "What are you doing here? There are so many guards on the street, what is going on?"

'What am I doing here!?' Agnes shouted in her head and pulling herself together, it was Louise who shouldn't be out after dark without the one person she was supposed to guard. However, before she could unleash her frightened temper on the pink mage she remembered something.

She was supposed to be following the target!

Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the man go into an inn at the end of the street they were standing on.

"I don't have time to explain right now," Agnes said, turning back to the confused mage. "Come with me now." Grabbing Louise by the arm, Agnes bolted off down the road, dragging the girl behind her.

-[]-

The man had been in the inn for over a minute when Agnes reached the door and slowed just enough to make her entrance not look like she was running from a rogue dragon. The room beyond the doors was filled with people. Men and women sat around their respective chairs and talked, causing a rather loud din to fill the room. Servers moved silently between tables, carrying different pictures of drink and plates of food with an ease born of years of practice.

Round tables were spread around the room haphazardly and a pair of fireplaces were situated on the opposing walls. The room was lit very well from the fires and several wall sconces adding to the already bright chandelier. There was a bar where the drinks were served and a landing stretching the length of the back wall.

Agnes narrowed her eyes as she tried to figure out where her target could have gone in all this commotion. 'There,' she caught sight of him going into a hall on the second story of the back wall over the bar.

"Let's go," she said and pulled an unwilling Louise around the tables just like she had pulled the girl through the streets a second ago.

After scaling the stairs, Agnes stopped just shy of the corner's edge and peeked around it to watch her target. He was standing in a short corridor that had only four doors in it, two on each side. The door in front of him was the one furthest back and he paused just outside to look back the way he had come from to look for followers.

Agnes didn't move a muscle as his gaze passed over the spot where she was peeking not even daring to move her eyeball in its socket, any movement now and he would see her.

"Hey, what's going on? Give me an explanation!" Agnes could have happily strangled the pink haired mage right then and there. Fortunately for the both of them, the man she was following didn't hear the mage over the loud sounds of talking that wafted up from the common room below them.

He turned back to the door and Agnes took the moment to give very important instructions to the mage. Turning around Agnes put her finger on her nose and calmly stated, "If you don't be quiet I will strangle you with your own hair, got it?" Louise's eyes bulged and then she nodded as the serious threat sank in.

A knocking sound came from around the corner and Agnes returned to looking. The door in front of her quarry opened and another man came out. Agnes never realized something until she saw these two together. The man she had been following and the one he was meeting should make horrible spies. They simply looked suspicious.

She felt honest confusion at how someone didn't notice that these two were up to no good. People don't like to stereotype others, but it was what people did subconsciously as they gaged who was a threat and who wasn't. It was how people would get 'impressions' of those they met.

Both men stood out like a sore thumb in a crowd and just radiated ill intent.

The man she had been following, now that he no longer had his hood up, had green hair and a sharp 'witch' chin and a nose that came down low and flat on his face. That combined with his light, self-satisfied smile and half lidded eyes made him look like a human snake. If a child approached him on the street, Agnes was sure that the mother would panic and immediately remove her young from his presence.

The other man, the one standing in the doorway was no better. He had a red cap on his head with little tufts of black hair sticking out the side. He had a sharp, hawk like nose and had a matching self-satisfied smile and narrowed eyes. His clothes were a red robe with a thick white collar. His presence reminded her of a hawk or vulture staring down at a rabbit or infant and contemplating whether or not to eat it. She decided to give them target designations, Slither and Vulture, for if there were future encounters.

"Master is waiting at the usual theatre," Slither said to Vulture in a surprisingly deep voice. Agnes mentally took that fact down, they met in theatres. There weren't too many of those in the town even if it was situated at the base of the palace.

"Looks like the Queen has been kidnapped by someone," Slither continued.

Louise gasped, "WHAT!?" She realized what she did wrong the second her voice left her throat but it was too late. Agnes grabbed the apologetic Louise and pulled her close. Listening with one ear, Agnes paled as she heard footsteps coming back towards them.

As the sound drew nearer, Agnes panicked and did the first thing she could think of to make them being there seem innocent. She placed both of her hands on Louise's cheeks and smashed her lips into the pink's own causing her to gasp. Louise's gasp accidently caused there to be some suction and Agnes found her tongue inside of Louise's mouth. Louise dropped her cloak, and showing off her uniform, in shock as she felt something else on her own tongue. It didn't feel bad, just strange.

"URK," the sound of Slithers just behind them caused Louise's short circuiting brain to realize what this kiss was supposed to do and she returned the favor with apparent equal passion. Her hands came around the Musketeer captain and settled low on her hips causing Agnes to shiver with either awkwardness or arousal, she wasn't sure which.

Slither quickly became uncomfortable as they continued to ignore him and he eventually moved past the two women. Agnes peaked around Louise' head and pulled away from Louise as soon as slithers went down the stairs.

"What was that for?" Agnes asked wiping her mouth with one hand and rubbing the spot on her hips where Louise had placed her hands.

"'What was that for'?" Louise repeated incredulously, rubbing her hands in an attempt to 'wash' them off, she felt like that woman who had touched her back at the Inn. "I was helping your on the spot decision to act like a couple," She snapped, "Now if you don't mind, I have some minor questions. Why were you following that guy? What did he mean that the Queen has been kidnapped? Why did you tell us to go to that inn without any further orders?"

"You were supposed to meet up with the queen there," Agnes bit out with a glare.

Louise frowned, then her eyes started getting larger. "We were supposed to meet Henrietta?" Louise asked worriedly.

"Yes, you were supposed to watch over her while I gather evidence," Agnes growled.

"Gathering evidence? Kidnapped, but I was supposed to be watching? This don't make sense, how was I supposed to know any of this?" Louise demanded.

Agnes blinked in surprise. "I told you," she replied.

"No, you didn't," Louise shot back, "You told Dove and I to go to a specific inn and wait. You never told us what, or who, we were waiting for. And now the princess has might have been kidnapped for real."

Agnes blanched, 'No, that can't be right,' she thought as she tried to remember what she had told Louise and Dove back at the academy. Agnes paled as she realized that she couldn't remember specifically telling the mage who she was meeting up with.

"Brimir," The musketeer captain breathed and clutched her head as worry set in. If Henrietta was missing from Louise's side, then she really might have been kidnapped instead of just faking like they had planned.

"I think Dove has her," Louise added to the conversation to calm the other woman down. Agnes jerked her head out of her hands to stare at Louise.

"What?" She asked after a moment.

"Dove was seen leaving the inn with a hooded person," Louise explained, "I thought that it was whomever we were supposed to meet and was trying to find them when I ran into you. Do you know where they are now?"

Agnes frowned, "I don't know where they would be now but I am supposed to meet the Queen at the theatre. Come to think of it, we might actually be going to the same theatre that we just heard that the meeting is going down."

"So, all we can do right now is go to the theatre and hope that it was the Queen Dove met up with?" Louise summarized.

Agnes shook her head. "I can't think of anything else we can do," she groused, not liking what she had just said. "Do you want to come with me to the theatre? I can get you in behind the stage where we were supposed to meet."

"I actually have a way to get behind the stage already," Louise said happily, she didn't need anyone's help, she was practically an adult. Then she remembered just how she could get behind stage. Agnes watched in silent confusion as the expressions on the face of the girl in front of her morphed from happy and proud to sullen in under a few seconds.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"Nope," Louise denied, she could survive working in MISTER Scarron's play. There was no need to have Agnes assist her. Louise sucked in a breath and nodded to confirm her independence in her own eyes.

Agnes looked at the mage, searching for doubt.

"Well then," she couldn't find any, Louise was confident with herself despite her earlier mood, "I will see you there. If the Queen doesn't show at the appointed time, then I'll have you join the musketeers for the search."

Louise nodded, it was a sound plan even though they had created it on the fly.

"See you there," she said before sucking up her pride and accompanying the other woman to the door before separating and returning to the charming fairy inn.

* * *

The theatre where Dove, Henrietta, a spy (nick)named Vulture, Lishman, Agnes, and Louise found themselves hours later was a large building. The building's lobby was over two stories high and fifty meters wide with windows that would have made the red carpeted lobby area glow in the sun, for now the building instead glowed from the many candle and chandeliers it contained to give the building a feeling of magic.

The rest of the building behind the lobby held no windows and was almost as dark as the night outside. The area had a lowered floor that was over seventy meters in width and forty in length just for the chairs with a balcony above.

The stage dominated the space with its dark depths. It was hard to guess how deep or wide the stage was and that leant to the strange feeling of looking out towards a new world instead of at a backdrop that many attendees were commenting on to each other about.

Dove stood backstage on the left-hand side as Jessica strode out onto the main stage to start the play. Dove was happy, she had completed her task of guarding the Queen and got her here in time to meet up with a very relieved Agnes.

The musketeer captain had almost strangled Dove for leaving the inn without Louise and hence causing her to worry about whether or not the Queen had been taken captive. Fortunately for the elf's neck, Henrietta had intervened and explained why they had left Louise behind this time.

Agnes still hadn't liked the fact that Dove had walked off with the Queen but it had already happened and there was nothing they could do to change it now. She had still given Dove a disappointed, reproachful talk anyways, but had also thanked her for keeping the Queen safe.

For some rather sweet icing on the sweet roll, Agnes had apparently brought her armor from the academy just in case things went sideways. Now Dove stood in her dragon scale armor behind the stage, awaiting the next phase of this revised plan.

-[]-

"Are you sure about that," Henrietta asked Agnes from where she sat listening to Agnes' report.

"Yes," the Musketeer replied, "the traitor will be meeting with his Reconquista contact tonight in this very theatre."

"Then we need to capture them both," Henrietta thought out loud. "If we can catch both conspirators here and now then we can find out if there are any more spies in the country from the two of them."

"Then Lishman will be arrested tonight," Agnes agreed, thrilled to no end.

"If we can get the two of them," Dove said, "are the other Musketeers here?" she directed her question at Agnes. Agnes nodded, on a subconscious level seeing Dove armored up in her armor and standing in what could only be called a 'ready' stance, she accepted that Dove was the senior fighter here.

"I have fifty Musketeers standing by," she reported.

"I don't think we would need all of them to take out two men," Dove considered, "They would be best situated at the exits with their famous muskets. We could leave twenty with the Queen when she confronts him, that should be plenty."

"Sounds like a good idea," Henrietta said nodding at the Baroness.

-[]-

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Dove was brought out of her remembrance by Jessica's voice starting the play. "We welcome you to this tear-jerking play performed by the Scarron family."

"Dove," Louise's voice suddenly pulled Dove's attention away from Jessica. Turning around Dove was greeted by a punch in the gut.

"...Well that was ineffective," Dove commented as Louise choked back a sob and clutched her now bruised and aching hand to her chest.

"I wouldn't suggest doing that to someone in armor," Dove said lightly.

"Shut up, I am mad at you," Louise snapped as she rubbed her knuckles.

"I guess the punch was for sneaking off with the Queen and making you angry," Dove commented.

"Yes," Louise snapped as the pain started to fade from her hand, "It was completely irresponsible of you. We were supposed to work together on this mission and you just went out and placed the kingdom in jeopardy."

"I didn't," Dove denied, "I did what Henrietta had already planned and I did it the way that would attract the least amount of attention while protecting her."

"Are you saying that I would attract attention?" Louise asked in a voice dripping with fury.

"Your hair is pink, and you lose your temper rather easily compared to others. I'm sure that if you had accompanied us then some of the situations we found ourselves in would have caused you to get angry we would have been found," Dove said bluntly.

Louise gaped as Dove's words hit her right where it hurt. "So, you left because I was useless?" she asked quietly, her face falling and tears stinging her eyes. Her insides were seized in cold shock and hurt as her familiar's words betrayed her.

A hand clamped down on Louise's head and pulled it into her familiar's body. "No, Louise," Dove said, "you are never useless. True, I took her because I could do the job better, but I'm sure you could have managed it yourself. This way, I was able to make it safer for everyone."

"I still feel useless," Louise muttered into Dove's scaled breastplate.

"Then prove yourself in the next fight," Dove responded, "I basically said that I was better at being invisible to protect the Queen, I'm sure you won't disagree with that I can be sneaky if I want to."

Louise nodded as she remembered Dove's ears, "That simply isn't your way Louise. You're a loud, awe inspiring person. Take pride in that," Dove comforted, rubbing the back of the girl's head. Louise felt a lot better as Dove explained her reasoning. Upon reflection, Louise had to agree that she would make a terrible stealth operative.

"Alright," Louise agreed as her confidence started to return. Standing back from Dove, the girl placed a hand on her hip and looked Dove right in the eyes, "I will prove that I'm not useless by being even more useful in battle than even you."

"I look forward to your challenge, little girl," Dove stated, her eyes alight with a teasing edge. Louise blinked and threw both of her fists in the air in a mockery of a child throwing a temper tantrum.

"I'm not little," Louise cried at the same time but grinned as Dove teased with her. Dove stepped closer in and held her hand at Louise's head height.

"I don't know," she mused, "you are rather short, and that display just now makes me think it might be past your bedtime. Run along, I'm sure your nanny is looking for you."

"A nanny huh?" Louise asked darkly as Dove just smiled. "I'll show you a nanny!" Dove laughed as Louise put everything into making that ridiculous line sound intimidating.

* * *

 **Okay.**

 **Done for now.**

 **so that you know,**

 **I've got writers fatigue.**

 **I need a break so that I can actually write quality chapters for all of you.**

 **So my next chapter's mental deadline is in two-three weeks instead of about a week like it has been for the majority of this story.**

 **I know that some of you might not make it in life without my weekly updates bringing light and joy to your dark world ;P**

 **But you're going to have to suck it up for now.**

 **Thank you evevee for betaing,**

 **Thank you readers for your thoughts,**

 **Thank you for your favs and follows,**

 **and Thank you for just reading,**

 **see you in a bit.**


	46. Chapter 46

**"So," one white mouse said to a shorter white mouse, "What are we doing tonight brain?"**

 **"The same thing we do every night pinky, try to take over the world!"**

 **"How?"**

 **"I made a deal with a some FanFiction writer. If we tell the world that he/she doesn't own the rights to something called Skyrim and another called Familiar of Zero."**

 **"Oh, How will the author help us?"**

 **"...I'll get back to you on that."**

* * *

 **XSDStitch: Dove would never stoop to stealing, more then on the ocation.**

 **the kitty killer: PLEASE DON'T TRY TO RATIONAL HOW DURNEHVIIR COULD USE A WHIP IN A DOM/SUB RELATIONSHIP WITH JULIO, PLEASE!**

 **helkil: Thanks happy new year to you as well.**

 **hunter81095: I don't plan on this being a pregnancy fic, I didn't want to have an event like that be a "In conclusion" type of thing, it will be a large part up ahead but not the be all and end all of my story.**

 **Photogirl5520113: Thank you, here's one for you.**

 **amimai002: DON'T WORRY! STORY RELIEF AID IS HERE!**

 **TheENDstyler: I'm back~ prepare for the worst.**

 **Akshka: Yup.**

 **Boyzilla: Thanks.**

 **Drakefire: thank you, do you think that spending an extra week off was a bad thing?**

 **ExtremelyAddictedReader: Dove has a reason for 'giving in' notice that she's starting to gain power in the Tristain court but not compromising on some things. Thank you for giving your two cents.**

 **Zenog: Agreed, Thank you for your thoughts on multiple chapters.**

 **Reploid Avenger: Of course, Although I have a question. What if you don't like cheese but celebrate with cream cheese?**

 **perfectshade: I had realized that I thought of Dove as a bard cum adventurer but hadn't had her singing nearly enough, that inspired the whole song. Saito was an average guy from Japan so he would get chiche'ly shy about the kinds of situations they find themselves in, Dove is a above average Skyrim dragon-elf demigod, she gets shy (especially since 'normal' clothes in Tristain are a lot skimpier then Skyrim because of the weather) but she's really good had working through it.**

 **Thean Bitter Crowe: Thank you for talking with me and for commenting on so many chapters.**

* * *

"This…could have gone better," Dove said to Louise while standing on the main stage. The seats below her were rapidly emptying as the average play enthusiasts were finding themselves a little closer to real action then they were comfortable with. Louise shook her head as her familiar's words didn't do the situation justice.

Below, in the growing clear area, was the Queen and twenty armed musketeers. Just in front of her was Lishman, a man whose face reminded Dove of a bird of prey, and about thirty men armed with swords and all in a strange blue uniform.

"How did they get all of them in here?" Dove asked out loud as things escalated.

* * *

Lishman smirked as the play progressed. The dim lights, the noise as the crowd laughed at the comedy, all these factors helped provide a dark and secret place in a normally open area. Lishman was sure the play was supposed to be a serious drama, but the performers were just too over dramatic that it was funny.

Either way, it didn't matter to him. With these factors working together he had the perfect place for him to meet with his contact privately and have an alibi if someone else in his network was compromised.

"So, her highness has yet to be found?" Lishman's Reconquista contact asked from the seat next to him. Lishman sighed and wished that his informant was a little stealthier. If he didn't even try to pretend to watch the play then he would get the both of them caught if anything should go wrong.

"Yes, she is still missing," the corrupt public servant answered, glancing at the man with the hawk nose out of the corner of his eye.

"So, now's our chance," the spy said with greed, "If we can get a force into the palace during her absence then we would have access to all the kingdoms current classified documents, the royal storage itself! Without anyone knowing about it."

Lishman smiled as the thought of what information the vault may hold. With as many items as had been in the academy vault, the knowledge the royal vault contained appealed to him. As clever and sneaky as he had been, there were bound to be clues left behind at his various crimes that could lead back to him, they could be found in the palace.

His thoughts darkened as he remembered the Musketeer captain who had met with him that very night. He was sure that she was one of those who was looking for evidence to lock him up for good, she just had that look in her eyes whenever she met him.

'When did he cross her?' he idly wondered as he knew that her apparent level of hatred had to come from some personal slight.

"You really think that the formula will be in there?" The spy's words broke Lishman out of his own little world and back into the moment.

"Yes," he replied, "As far as I can tell, the new project that the queen has been working on has little to no documentation. Only the head researcher, some low born noble trying to make a name for herself at the academy, and the Queen would know any of the details."

"Still don't see why we couldn't just take the head researcher at the academy," the spy said unhappily. It was risky to try and get into the palace for a reason.

"Because surprisingly the palace has less protection than the academy does at this time," Lishman explained, "Not only do you have to get past the professors, masters at their own respective elements, but the Queen moved the bulk of her own guard to defend both the students and this new project."

Vulture smirked, "A good thing too. If she hadn't then you never would have heard of this potion from your informant in their ranks."

Lishman smiled along with the Reconquista man, "Indeed. If we can get the recipe from the palace, then you will be able to increase the sheer magical potential of all of Reconquista's mages."

"How is that possible? I don't understand it at all," Vulture asked, a frown forming on his face.

"I don't know, nor care," Lishman responded, "My informant said that it was something like 'growing a seed of magic within you'. Makes no sense to me, but I'll leave understanding it to the maid and your own researchers."

Vulture's frown increased. "Maid?" he asked for clarification.

"The head researcher is apparently a powerful mage that works a day job as one of the academy's maids, a cook of all things," Lishman explained to the astonished man. Vulture gave a quiet but harsh laugh.

"Do you think she stumbled on the potion by mixing up the spices for soup one day?" he asked rhetorically.

Lishman breathed out a laugh, "I wouldn't think so, they don't hire incompetents in the academy."

"I have heard enough." The firm female voice just behind the two men caused them both to whirl around and look. Lishman cursed the one downside about meeting in the theater: it was difficult to look directly behind you with the dim light. Sitting right behind them was a figure throwing back a dark grey hood. Lishman really did curse out loud as the hood came down and revealed that it was Queen Henrietta herself had just overheard them talking.

"I thought that you would try something if I vanished into the night," Henrietta said, standing and looking at the rogue chairman in disgust, "and now I have you red handed." By this time, a few people had turned to hush the disruptive patrons only to stop shocked as they recognized the Queen of all people standing there clearly confronting what looked like a high ranking official.

"I see," Lishman said as calmly as he could while his anger tried to break free from his control. "So, your disappearance act was just a trick to lure little old me out. I think that I should feel honored that it took such desperate measures for you to find me." Henrietta frowned in anger as the arrogant man somehow found the ability to boast about betraying one's' country.

"If you come quietly and make minimal amount of fuss, I can give you a much lighter sentence," she said with perfect honesty. After all, he was going to serve multi-life sentences so she could forgive one here or there if it meant his arrest went smoothly.

To emphasize their queen's words. Twenty Musketeers stood with swords drawn, flanking Henrietta. There were gasps from the onlookers and the people in the play stopped in shock when they saw the group, causing the people who were still watching the play and not the drama behind them a lot of confusion until they turned to look as well.

However, Lishman apparently knew that he would be locked up for the rest of his days anyway, might as well go for broke. His defiant smirk hinted at an answer the Queen didn't like.

"Lishman, Chair President of Legal Affairs, you are under arrest for treason," She announced loudly in a formal voice for all to hear. Behind her and to the sides, her musketeers took stances to ready themselves to charge forwards and take the man. The crowd gasped and recoiled from the man as Dove came out onto the stage.

"I think the play is over," she said over her armored shoulder to an astonished Scarron before returning her attention to the confrontation.

"The curtain has dropped, Lishman. Surrender peacefully and take my justice," Henrietta tried one last time.

"Are you sure about that?" Lishman asked. "You're still naive, little Henrietta."

"Your Highness!" Louise cried as she saw the crowd behind Lishman suddenly stand. Dove's eyes widened before she cursed. Somehow, the guards at the door had let in about thirty armed and uniformed men into the theatre.

"How by Boethiah's* left hand did they get in here?" Dove asked thin air before focusing on the important facts. There were over thirty men on Lishman's side versus Henrietta's twenty musketeers. If they would pull out their guns, then that first volley could thin the numbers back in the musketeer's favor.

"Protect the Queen!" the lead Musketeer shouted and was answered by a resounding, "Yes, ma'am!" from the others as they charged forwards.

"Why aren't they just shooting the enemy?" Dove asked, talking to thin air again.

"So as not to hit the civilians," Louise answered her from beside Dove as if that was obvious. Dove colored a little as she had forgotten how far reaching the little balls of metal were when they left the muskets. A volley inside an enclosed space would almost assuredly cause collateral.

"Then we'll just have to crush them with strength of arms," Dove declared. "Louise, use Derf in your right hand while casting with your left." Satisfied that Louise knew what to do, Dove moved to join the fight in front of her.

"But I don't know how to use a sword!" Louise called out at Dove.

"You've carried him for the past few weeks!" Dove replied over her shoulder as she gained speed, "Learning in battle will help you find your balance!"

"Balance of what?!" Louise cried out but was unanswered as Dove launched herself at the first man.

-[]-

Dove smiled as the man in the blue and yellow uniform turned to face her. His face first drained of blood when he saw her, and then more when the wickedly grinning woman he saw slammed her scaled gauntlet into his face, breaking his nose, before unleashing a burst of fire from the same hand that cooked his head.

As the first charred body fell, Dove summoned a one-handed sword and thrust it at the next man in line as he turned to investigate the sudden flare of fire. His eyes widened and he managed to pull his sword up to block the first strike Dove laid on him. The man gasped as the heavy hit from the sword made from air sent his blade to the ground. He couldn't pull his sword up in time and an equally ethereal dagger buried itself in his right eye.

Dove moved over the two bodies and started hacking like mad in the chaos around her. From above, the mixed blob of humans adorned in Musketeer brown and 'bad guy' blue almost seemed to shudder as the dragon scale armored woman hit it like a ram. The Musketeers were a little outnumbered but reinforcements at the doors instantly left their posts to assist their comrades. Dove didn't see the reinforcements come as her sight was starting to narrow. Soon all the woman could see was the edge of her blade. If something came within that range and was blue in color, it was the next target. Dove also couldn't see her eyes slowly gaining a golden tinge.

With a roar that echoed despite the din of men and women fighting, Dove leapt from the back of one of the chairs in the row onto the back of a bald blue dressed man. The man thrashed under her as she reached under his chin and squeezed. The man opened his mouth in a silent scream as lightning jumped between Dove's fingertips, leaving burns and causing the muscles in his neck to seize.

Leaving the poor man to his breathless fate, Dove stood only to let out a squawk as two men charged her. The first man tackled her, planting his shoulder directly in her armored midriff, sending the elf to the ground and knocking the breath out of her. He then pressed his foot on her shoulder trying to keep her down while the second man stabbed down on the defenseless woman, trying to carve a hole in her throat.

Dove twisted to the side and threw her forearm across her face. Her gauntlet caught the edge of the blade and knocked it to the side where it pierced the wooden floor beside her. Kicking her legs blindly upward, Dove managed to hit the man who had tackled her in the hip with her left foot and on the crotch with her right, causing him to ease his grip on her from pain.

"IIZ SLEN NUS!"

Dove's ragged voice caught the two men above her, causing large chunks of ice to flash form on their bodies, mostly on their joints. Dove took a moment to extricate herself from under the first man's foot before standing up slowly, enjoying the fear she could see in the men's eyes. Reaching over her shoulder, Dove slowly brought her hands back into view as she summoned a bound battle axe.

The man who had tried to stab her suddenly started tensing every muscle he could still move in his body, which happened to consist both of his eyebrows. The man who had held her on the ground was unfortunate enough to be looking at his frozen comrade when Dove brained him. Her ethereal axe made a satisfactory crunch as he died. Dove looked up from her kill and fixed the second living statue with a baleful golden stare before she swung.

-[]-

Louise moved after her familiar at a much slower pace than Dove's head long attack. Taking a breath, she lifted her left hand and let the cold feeling in her gut pulse through her arm. An ice spike lanced from her and impaled the man she was aiming at in the back. Shivering as the man screamed, Louise moved forwards and swung sloppily at his neck with all her might.

The man went silent as Louise's blade ended him. Louise shivered again as he died. She had just killed for the first time in battle. In the battle of Tarbes all she had done for fighting was run into a trap and watch people die. It was the first time she had caused someone to die.

A moment passed as she stared at the body. Was he a father? It would be horrible if that man had been a father before today. Before she could think on it any further, a shout from her right brought her back to here and now. Leaping to the left and turning in the same motion, Louise lifted the blade and managed to stop the enemy's attack.

The man looked down through the battle haze and saw a tiny girl in front of him. Smiling like a sick dog, the man pushed down on her with his sword in an attempt to crush her under his vastly superior strength. Louise had to use both hands to hold Derf up against the man's strike. A savage grin soon split his face as his sword bore down on tiny mage despite her best efforts.

Suddenly, his grin vanished in a scream of pain and he collapsed. Louise gasped in both surprise and relief when he fell. Looking to the side, she saw a Musketeer pulling her now red sword out of the man's side.

"You alright?" the woman called to Louise giving her a quick look over. Louise nodded a little stiffly before shivering and loosening her tight body. "Don't relax too much," the woman said quickly when she saw Louise's reaction, "still a lot of men to kill." Louise groaned and lifted Derf.

"Try using quick attacks," the Musketeer suggested, "Your smaller stature will make it harder to hit you if you're fast." Louise blinked, her size was an advantage?

'Find your balance,' she remembered, 'Could Dove had meant balancing attacks?' Either way, she had to fight again. Lifting Derf, she moved forwards cautiously, ready to slide around the larger men as fast as she could to deal deathblows.

* * *

Dove rammed into another victim. Said person staggered as he took her momentum. Dove didn't know it, but her increasingly ferial snarl combined with her dragon scale armor and eye color were more frightening to the traitor's men than all the Musketeers combined. Already the individual men that hadn't gotten a good look at her were subconsciously concocting their own opinions on just who she was.

No one could remember another noble who fought like her. Some had even come up with the idea that she was a monster the Queen had summoned to destroy them. Lishman had gotten pushed to the side with Vulture as the combat started. At first things, had seemed to be going well for his side. His soldiers outnumbered the Musketeers and they had the advantage of surprise.

Now those two advantages were failing him. The Musketeers had guards at the doors that were now joining the fight, outnumbering his own by a good margin. Then there was the one in armor.

Lishman caught sight of the woman as she took on another of his men. Standing on the sidelines and being unaffected by the battle haze, Lishman tried to figure out who the devastating woman was. She hadn't been a part of the Musketeer force, and he hadn't seen anyone like her around the palace.

As she brained a frozen statue of a man, he got a good look at her face. It was average in appearance, or maybe that helmet was just very unflattering, either way she looked like a commoner. Then he saw her magic in action. It was the most distinctive thing about her as his mind connected to what his spy had told him until she had been caught. The head researcher was a Baroness that could cast devastating spells with three words.

"We need to get rid of that one," Vulture said, following Lishman's line of sight to the woman as she rammed another of their fodder.

"I don't think we can," Lishman replied in a decidedly unhappy tone.

Vulture looked at him in confusion, "Why not? She is taking our men apart here. Just think of what will happen when she reaches the battlefield?"

"And we want that potion," Lishman hissed at the man, "That's the head researcher if I'm not mistaken." Vulture blanched and looked at the woman again, this time burning her appearance into his mind.

"Are you sure? I thought you said she was a maid," he asked, hoping the traitor was wrong.

Lishman nodded, "She's very hard to mistake. Now that we can't get to the palace we'll have to get the recipe from her somehow." Vulture looked back in time to see another one of their disposable men die by her hands, this time cooked alive by lightning that raced from her hands to the victim.

"We need to get out of here," Lishman spoke suddenly, drawing Vulture's attention. "We should split up and go alone so that at least one of us can get out." Vulture nodded in agreement. He didn't like the leaving alone part, but this far too close to conflict for his tastes. Leaving the Tristian traitor, Vulture grabbed one of his men in uniform as he passed.

"I have what we came here for," he told the man, "I need you to ensure that I get out of here alive." The man nodded through the battle haze before charging the nearest doorway. Seeing their comrade move, three other men followed him, roaring a wordless battle cry before they smashed into the four remaining Musketeers guarding said door. Vulture snuck up on them as the people fought, waiting for the most opportune moment for him to slide in-between them and escape into the night.

-[]-

Lishman, on the other hand, moved as soon as Vulture spoke to one of his men. He had chosen a theatre to meet in for all the reasons he had mentioned before, but there was one very good reason why he chose this theatre out of all the others in the town. He owned it, so he could change the blueprints to the building and could sweep the changes under the rug.

His escape tunnel was just on the other side of the crowd, on the stage. For a moment, he wondered if it had been a flare for the dramatic that had made him put the trap door there, but then he shook the thought off as unimportant. As he maneuvered around the fighting, he noticed that his men were getting cut down like wheat at harvest. The few who remained were starting to realize that surrender was the only way they were getting out of this alive.

'Useless,' he snarled to himself as more started laying down their arms. The traitor quickly ascended the stairs and raced for the front of the stage, bypassing the startled performers who shied away from him.

"THERE'S THE FIROK!" a feminine voice shouted from the crowd as Lishman turned with an unnecessary dramatic flair. Down below him, the crowd of women warriors turned to follow the pointing arm of one in what looked like actual scale armor. That baroness was costing him everything the man thought as he glared at the golden eyed woman.

At first, he had wanted to know why the Queen would grant a noble title on some random nobody, part of his standard routine looking for useful bargaining chips, then he had heard about the potion she was developing. The second he had heard of what it could do from his spy, Michel, he had wanted its recipe. Unfortunately, Michel had been unable to get it as the stupid woman had kept it to herself. His spy couldn't even learn the location of where she created the potion. Now here she was, cutting most of his soldiers down and striking fear into the hearts of those that yet remained.

"I'll get you for this," he promised, trying to kill the woman with his eyes. She had to be responsible for this night going pear shaped somehow, he just knew it. Slamming his staff into the floor, Lishman smirked at the vast array of shocked musketeers before him as the trap door opened and he apparently disappeared.

The escape tunnel he had built under the stage was a sheer fall straight down for over a hundred meters. He had built it to access an old tunnel that had been part of the sewer system years before and had made the connection to the existing tunnel a straight shot down because it would take a mage to stop the free fall at the bottom.

With a burst of air magic, like the spells used by the griffin knights when they fell off their mounts, Lishman slowed his fall until he was slowly sinking through the air like a dandelion puff. Upon touching down on the ground, however, the now disgraced noble marched off with none of the gentle properties the plant would show.

Lishman moved forwards, not really seeing the tunnel around himself as he was too angry to care. That disregard for his surroundings came back to bite him in the butt a second later as a voice rang out from the other direction of the tunnel.

"Halt!"

Lishman twisted around to look over his shoulder and cursed to himself. Standing behind him was the second person he blamed for the complete disaster that had happened tonight. Agnes was glaring him down, the light from his narrow tunnel just enough to illuminate her narrowed face.

"Where do you think, you're going, Lishman?" she asked like she was hoping to get away with hurting him for 'resisting'.

"It's you, PHA! I won't be caught by some ex-plebeian," he sneered and lifted his walking cane from the ground in preparation.

"I have no intention of catching you," Agnes replied, pulling out her pistol and leveling it at him.

"I'll be killing you," her voice was cold.

Lishman froze as the weapon was aimed at him. He knew that she was a faster shot with that thing than he was with his spell work. What he needed was for her to be distracted for even a moment. An idea suddenly occurred to the mage.

Putting on a shocked face he gasped, "What?" He pulled his staff up as if he was defensively recoiling in shock from the killer intent the captain was putting off. Now he was almost pointing his cane/wand at her. Agnes didn't fall for his acting and kept her pistol leveled at the apparently defenseless man.

"Dungletale," Agnes said instead of moving. It took Lishman a moment to realize that she was answering why she was going to kill him instead of capturing him. "My home vanished without being guilty of any crime."

'A survivor,' he thought remembering the event well. "I see. So, you're a survivor from that village." He could work with this. No doubt she had spent all these years looking for any reason to get him into a situation like this, where she could ask all the questions she wanted before putting a bullet in his head. It didn't matter, all he needed was for her guard to go down for a moment and he could kill her here and now. A smirk threatened to appear on his face as he knew just what to say to get the time he needed.

"Now is the time I take my revenge," Agnes declared firmly, staring the man down.

"Ha! I can kill you in an instant," Lishman said to get her angry before adding, "Listen. The record from Dungletale you're looking for is kept underneath the Magic Academy of Tristian!" Agnes' expression sudden switched from angry to interested, and finally shock as she realized that she had been wastefully standing on top of her answers this whole time. A more important fact than what expression was on her face was that the arm holding her pistol dropped a few degrees as she suddenly wished to be back at her old post.

'Got you!' Lishman internally crowed as he thrust his cane forwards and produced a fire hot enough to flash the woman into a crisp. The flames at his cane were blue-white that quickly became dark orange and angry red as they filled the tunnel right where Agnes had been standing.

A loud bang was heard as the powder in the woman's pistol ignited in the hot air but the shot only hit a wall and got imbedded there uselessly.

The smirk that had threatened to crawl across Lishman's face finally succeeded as he held the fire spell. Less than a second later the captain of the Musketeers would be dead from the heat. Savoring his triumph, Lishman was completely shocked when he heard a building scream of rage and saw a flash of metal in the roaring bonfire.

The flash resolved itself into Agnes as she threw her heat resistant cloak behind herself to compensate for the flying thrust of her sword. Before Lishman could get over the shock of seeing a person come out of his fire unharmed, said person had buried that sword into his guts. Pain, surprisingly cold despite the fire it had come from, lodged itself in Lishman's torso.

"I-Impossible," he managed to gasp as the damage to his body started to take its toll.

"Taste the fang we plebeians have sharpened to use against you aristocrats," Agnes spat as she twisted the blade, "Die from the bite of my blade you SON OF A BITCH!" The light dimmed and then faded from the traitor's eyes

Agnes then let him fall. Sucking in a breath, she calmed her racing heart. This had been so satisfying up until he had mentioned that the files were at the academy. She had the man who had ordered the attack and would have been happy with that revenge but now…

Now she wanted the names of those who had been there that night.

It was like some black beast had woken up inside of her and wanted their blasted carcass laid out before her. She wanted to kill everyone responsible for her pain. Lishman had told her where to go next. Straightening up, Agnes started walking out the light of the bonfire and towards the dark exit from the tunnel without sparing the body a second glance.

* * *

 **OMAKE**

 **Seriously, This has basically nothing to do with the story, it just won't leave me alone until I write it.**

 **Hope you enjoy my minds current fixation.**

* * *

 **Title: Where the flipping hell did they get the fourth dragon?**

Harry paced the champions tent. The first task happening right now and he didn't know what to do. 'Well,' the boy-who-lived thought, 'I had a plan but it's now less likely going to work.'

The problem with his plan, summon his quitich broom and outfly the dragon, had been put in jeopardy by the drawing.

FLASHBACK

"Harry, is that you?" Hermione asked through the tent wall.

Harry Potter really didn't have an answer for that so he just stood there, dry mouthed and frightened.

"We can see the dragons from where the stands are set up," Hermione informed her friend, "there appears to be a welsh green, a Swedish short-snout, a Chinese fireball, and some kind of drake I don't recognize from the book."

"What?" Harry asked, "What do you mean you don't recognize the fourth?" Hermione had been pouring over every book of dragons she could get her hands on ever since Harry had told her about the task being to get an egg from a nesting mother.

She was now almost an expert on everything dragon. "I don't know. I've never seen anything quite like it before," Hermione said nervously, "All I can say is that it's larger than the other dragons, but only has two hind legs and wings so it's a drake and not technically a dragon."

"Well, I guess I'll just have to out fly it as well," Harry said bitterly.

"I don't know how effective that might be, we don't know anything about this drake and if you have to go up against it," Hermione started to panic.

"I'll be fine," Harry said trying to assure his friend despite the fact that she wasn't the one going up against the beast.

Hermione's worry then over took her self-control and she pushed her way through the tent wall and hugged her friend.

SNAP

Both teens jumped away from each other as the flash of a wizarding camera caught the privet moment. "Young love," Reeta Skeeta said sashaying over to them already seeing her next issue in the prophet. "Stirring," she said almost to herself.

"Good day champions," headmaster Dumbledore said as he burst into the tent, "Gather around please. Now, you have waited, you've wondered, and at last the moment has arrived, the moment that only four of you can fully appreciate- what are you doing here miss Granger?"

His tiny speech broke off to address the witch in the room, causing Hermione to stutter, "Oh, um, Sorry, I'll just go," with one last look at Harry, that Skeeta took note of with her quill, she left.

"Barty, the bag" Dumbledore called putting the intrusion out of his mind.

"Champions, in a circle please," Barty Crouch said pointing out a circle on the ground.

The soon to be victims in the blood sport moved into a circle as Mr. Crouch directed before he presented a black, hissing, bag to the first one.

"Miss Delicure, if you will" he said gentlemanly as he held the bag of miniature dragons open to her.

The quarter Veela hesitantly reached into the bag and pulled out.

"The Welsh Green," Mr. Crouch identified. Flur shared a frightened look with her headmistress as the miniature belched tiny flames on her palm.

"Mr. Crumb."

The red robed wizard reached in and pulled out.

"The Chinese fireball~ Ooo~." Aperently Mr. Crouch liked Chinese fireballs.

Crouch then moved to the yellow dress not yet glittering vampire wantabe, and proffered the bag without a word.

Cedric Diggory reached in and retracted the, "Swedish short-snout," Mr. Crouch enjoyed this part of his job almost too much.

Moving on to the last victim. "Which leaves," the ministry worker said excitedly.

"The new drake," Harry muttered.

"What was that?" Crouch asked as he didn't quite hear what the boy had said.

"Nothing," Harry said and reached in.

Surprisingly the drake wasn't fighting his hand like the other miniatures had with the rest, his miniature was asleep in his palm, apparently resting without a concern in the world.

"Ah yes," Mr. Crouch said, "We were a little short on dragons since we were only expecting there to be three champions. Thankfully, we lucked out and discovered a new type of dragon (or maybe drake, the experts are still arguing about the technical definition) and so she got to make a debut for her entire species here today."

Harry took all that information in as he examined the drake-dragon in his palm, at least Hermione was correct in saying that there was no information on the beast in a book.

END FLASHBACK

Now Harry stood in the empty tent. The other 'champions' had one by one gone before him and now it was just him left. Hearing the loud voice of Dumbledore announcing the event with the sonorous charm hadn't really put his nerves at ease as he heard one after the other get hurt in some way.

Taking deep breath, Harry waited as Dumbledore announced that Cedric had gotten the egg and the angry Swedish short-snout was led off the field.

The cannon boomed and now it was Harry's turn to face the beast.

Moving through the tunnel, Harry tried not to emerge in the arena with piss running down his legs.

Fortunately, he succeeded and emerged from the small cave like tunnel with dry pants. The arena he found himself in was rocky and covered in little vales that the champion could hide in.

The stands were high up above the arena floor with sheer walls to keep the spectators safe from harm.

The entire place was silent. The only sound was the deep breathing of a large beast. For a moment, Harry was hopeful, the dragon was in the very center was blue-gray with a heavily armored body. Her horns were segmented and swept back towards her neck, her underside was white and the scales there seemed to be larger, each scale looked like it was outlined in white. The wings, tail, and rear legs were impossible to see from his angle.

The beast didn't even look up at him, Harry hoped that maybe one of the dragon handlers had messed up and had accidently given her too much sleeping draft.

The crowd held their breath as Harry walked, very quietly towards the beast in the middle.

When he was within twenty paces of the dragon suddenly shifted. Her body twisted and she gave some kind of hiss as if she was yawning.

"WHAT KIND OF JOKE IS THIS?!" a loud blond weasel shouted out from the stands, "THE LAST THREE WERE EXCITING, WHERES THE FIGHTING?"

Harry would have happily crucio'ed the heir of Malfoy if he could have.

The dragons still didn't seem to hear anything except for her dreams as mutters started popping up around the stands.

Harry slipped sideways into a ditch and started stealthily moving down it to get as close as he could to the egg.

He could see it now; the golden egg was in the center of an empty nest that the dragon was laying around in a loose semicircle. Fortunately for him, the open part of the semicircle was facing towards him.

Throwing caution to the wind, Harry leapt up from the ditch and raced the last five paces from his hiding place to the egg. A tiny cry of joy lit up his mind as he dropped to his knees by the nest and reached out to finish the task without even having to face his dragon.

It happened too fast for Harry to properly see what happened.

One second he was reaching for the egg, the next he felt the sensation of flying only to end up sprawled on the ground with a firm weight on his chest.

As his eyes came back into focus, Harry was greeted by the sight of the 'sleeping' dragon leering down on him, her wing was planted on the boy's chest and held him there as the she dragon came in closer.

"YOUR WAND HARRY!" Hermione's frantic voice shouted down at him.

Harry scrabbled for his wand and managed to seize it as the dragon opened its mouth.

 **"Zun Haal Viik!"**

Harry's wand suddenly jumped in his hand and flew halfway across the arena.

"And he's lost his wand! We're calling foul play! Who cast that strange disarming spell?!"

The announcer shouted as the crowd booed and cheered in equal measure.

The dragon leaned down, Harry closed his eyes as he waited for the beast to end it.

 **"Who indeed,"** a powerful but somehow feminine voice said.

Harry opened his eyes to try and find the speaker and blinked as the dragon grinned.

 **"So, little one,"** The dragon spoke, **"why are you here? The others who came into the arena were older then you."**

"I… Ah," Harry stuttered, 'was it speaking parseltongue?' he wondered, 'was that why I can understand it?'

"I can't believe my ears!" the announcer spoke, "That drake is talking like a human!" That blew his theory about parseltongue out of the water.

The dragon looked up at the booth where the announcer was stationed. **"And you can listen like a Dovah, so I guess this is an auspicious day for all,"** she said sarcastically.

 **"So back to you,"** the dragon looked down on the boy, **"Why are you here, trying to steal from me? What would your parents say to their son out here? Are they even here to watch you?"**

Harry winced. The dragon noticed.

 **"What's wrong?"** she asked.

"They're not here," Harry said sadly, "They died when I was a baby."

That gave the dragon pause. The nesting mother (according to the ministry) leaned down and looked the boy in the eyes. **"Then who takes care of you? Are you happy with them?"** Harry blinked in confusion as the dragon seemed to be genuinely concerned.

"No, not really," he said

 **"I see,"** the dragon shifted to look at the surrounding wizards, then she nodded to herself, **"Then I'm claiming you."**

Harry blinked, "What?"

 **"You came here trying to take the egg,"** she explained, **"Whelp, you failed, so I'm claiming you."**

"WHAT!?" more than one voice demanded from the assembled wizards.

 **"You're now my hatchling,"** the she dragon stated, **"You look to small to be healthy, you're in a fight with a dragon despite obviously not wanting to be here, and you just admitted to not liking your current guardians. I claim you as mine."**

Before Harry could respond, the dragon twisted around and bit through the chain that was keeping her in the arena, the tournament organizers probably should have spelled them to be unbreakable.

Every single person not shocked into stillness and armed with a wand whipped it out and took aim at the dragon.

Spells flew like a sudden Arora of power. This had no effect on the dragon's hide as she took to the air with Harry Potter clutched in her talons.

 **"Sorry for the rough trip,"** The mother dragon called down to her newly adopted child, **"Next time you can ride on my neck."**

Harry just hung there shell shocked as a burst of golden light opened in the sky above them and his new mother flew into it.

* * *

 **Wow, I guess that an Omake for me is arguably a chapter in and of itself.**

 **Feel free to Pm me if you want to use this scene.**


	47. Chapter 47

**REJOICE** **!**

 **for very bad things are about to happen.**

 **If I owned either of the stories I write from then things would explode every single time a chapter happened.**

* * *

 **Guest000: Is that a new pic? I don't have the books and the Omake had no beta so that's why it was so 'jarring'. Thanks for the welcome back. That's the thing I have not written Dove's real name in the fanfiction Dove was short hand for Dovahkiin because that is the name that she had to live up to, that she had to become. Agnes needed to use her own two hands to kill Lishman.**

 **slayst: She needed to use her own two hands or it wouldn't have meant anyting.**

 **Cheese PuffXx: ONE IS A GENIUS, THE OTHERS INSANE~**

 **ForgottenGrimiore: Maybe. Good luck finding one, some advice on that; someone has already asked and received my permission to use my Omake.**

 **helkil: There will be some dragon Dove crushing in the near future.**

 **the kitty killer: What do you mean that you can't talk about your favorite ship? I don't mind if you talk about it at all.**

 **TheENDstyler: Nice to be back, I guess that this chapter is an answer to your question about pacing.**

 **RedBurningDragon: Ya, the Omake was just something I needed to get written so that I can continue with the story. O.O I think that Dove and Tabs will never 'do the dirty' and I may be lying :P**

 **Dragonsong2795: The pacing is never slow, Dragonsong, nor is it fast. I goes precisely as it needs to.**

 **amimai002: Thanks for the enthusiasm, it really helps me write. (^^).**

 **animesguardianangel: I was thinking that it would effect the next fighting sequence in the story, hint hint.**

 **Akshka: Will do, someone has, check bellow for who.**

 **OXDStitch: AYE!**

 **Touhou is Life: Poor saps that get in her way.**

 **Blackholelord: It sounds like you already have an idea for a story to make off of my Omake. Someone has already asked for a copy and I have given them permission to use it.**

 **Zenog: Thank you, how was it confusing? I would like to make it clearer just in case.**

 **Guest: I don't have the books with me. I am forced to rely on the visual media simply because that is what I have available. One of my happiest moments this Xmas was when I got a hard back book on the formation of the Empire in Skyrim Lore. As an avid reader, I am a little hurt by your review.**

 **Akashic Records: Thank you, I just had to get the Omake out of my head and I'm glad you found it fun.**

 **Telron: GO FORTH AND READ! but make sure that you come back to my story because I need fans to support my fragile self confidence ;).**

 **spartaleox: No, like a parent seeing their child grow up, I will leave the Omake in the worlds hands. That doesn't mean that there won't be more like it though.**

 **Boyzilla: That exists, check it out on the crossover page.**

 **Zmoney: Thanks, someone took it.**

 **lordrednight: Thanks, I was hoping for a chapter with an awesome Dove and Agnes and an important milestone for Louise so I'm glad I got that down.**

 **Con: Thanks for your opinion.**

 **MasterXMaster: I'm torn between Dove loosing herself to the dragon or mastering and channeling it into battle. I was copying directly from the Anime so I don't think I messed up the name of the village, if so then sorry.**

 **perfectshade: Why would I change the bard come adventurer for Tabs? I honestly haven't thought about the familiar abilities, I thought the clinical definition was that; they made you know how to use them, but then how did Saito fix the Zero wing? food for thought. I try to tone down the slightly over exaggeratedness found in Anime, not a lot but just bit adding just a little more 'realistic' behavior and skills. I'm glad to have saved your evening**

 **Guardoflight: Someone else will be making the Omake their own.**

 **ceps: I'm not sure how to respond to that, are you hating on the pairing? if so then who would you like Louise to be paired with?**

* * *

 **Story is Beta'd by evevee who somehow found time for me, Major thanks.**

* * *

 **I have given Roman trooper my permission to use my Omake. If anyone else want to use it they just have to PM and answer two questions.**

* * *

The carriage rocked from side to side as the wheels dropped in and out of ruts in the road. Inside the swaying contraction were two women. One was leaning against the wall, letting her eyes rest a little bit, while the other wasn't even going to try to deny her exhaustion. The second woman was fast asleep, a tiny bit of drool leaking out of her mouth from the awkward angle she was resting at.

Louise finally gave up pretending and looked over at her sleeping familiar. After the excitement from last night, they had rounded up the fighters who had joined with Lishman and then surrendered after he had abandoned them. The fighting had basically ended when Lishman used the trap door to run away from the battle.

Even more had dropped their weapons when Dove expressed some irritation at losing sight of her prey. Three heads had rolled by the time she had been sated. Her temper had threatened to explode when it had been revealed that the man Lishman had been meeting with, Vulture, had gotten away.

She perked up when Agnes came up from wherever she had gone and explained that she had killed Lishman while he had tried to escape through an old sewer tunnel. In the end, the mission was complete and Dove could live with that.

Louise, on the other hand, was restless. She had killed for the first time and she was a little perturbed by this. She wanted to wake Dove up and talk about it but Dove had been up a lot later then she had been last night. Last night Dove had forestalled Louise's attempts to talk with a hand and just said, "Sleep first. Take your time to process by yourself, then come talk to me if you have problems."

Louise had reluctantly obeyed her familiar and gone to bed while Dove took care of escorting the prisoners away and reporting to Henrietta. Her help wasn't really needed since the prisoners were more afraid of Dove then basically anything else after the fight. Dove hadn't gotten back to the Charming Fairy inn until a lot later. She had been so tired that she had laid down in her armor and was asleep in seconds.

In the morning, the two had met with Henrietta once more to give a final report and had been congratulated. "This mission had been difficult," Henrietta said, "First we had to dupe Lishman, then catch him despite his guards. There was also the added complication of miscommunications, but regardless, the two of you did very well and I thank you."

"You're most welcome, Henrietta," Louise took the honor with pride while Dove just nodded. Back in Skyrim, she would have expected a little more than a "thank you" for fighting a large group of soldiers, but she hadn't been expecting anything this time around so she was okay with the good will for now.

When they had gotten into the carriage to go back to the academy, Dove had stepped into the carriage and slid over before settling into the far right side to nap on the way back. Louise hadn't gotten a chance to talk to her. She hadn't been quick enough to prevent her familiar from sleeping for that. Agnes had then jumped up onto the driver's seat and they were off.

Now Louise was torn between her desire to talk the fight over with Dove and her wariness of waking a sleeping dragon. Half way back to the academy Dove finally shifted and started to wake up. Louise watched as Dove yawned and stretched.

"What is it?" the powerful maid asked, "I can tell you need something."

"Why...how are you okay with killing?" Louise questioned hesitantly. "I know you had a problem when you ate Wardes, but you don't seem to have a problem with killing." Dove winced as Louise brought up Wardes' untimely end before she shook it off and focused on Louise's problem.

"Do you remember what you said when I ate Wardes?" Dove asked.

Louise thought back on the night after the battle of Tarbes. "Not really," she admitted.

"I didn't really think so," Dove smirked before she completely sat upright and looked squarely at Louise, "You said, 'you protected the army and got revenge for your master, me. Nothing you did made you a monster.'" Dove paused to let that sink in before continuing, "What you said hadn't been the right thing to say to me at the time but it is the right thing to say here and now." Dove reached over and laid a hand on Louise's shoulder, "You, Louise, protected the Queen. Nothing you did made you a monster."

"I didn't say that I think I'm a monster," Louise argued with a frown.

"But it has crossed your mind, right?" Dove prodded, "It crosses the minds of literally every properly functioning person who kills another." Louise frowned at the accuracy of Dove's words. "I'm saying that you did your job fighting, you learned what happens in the confusing melee of the battlefield, and you protected your friend and me from someone who was going to try to take my potion to make the enemy stronger," Dove smiled as she finished talking.

Louise tilted her head, Dove was right, she had done a good job. So why didn't she feel happy?

"You don't like it because it was the end of someone else's life," Dove informed her bluntly, "If you did then you're a monster. That's what I believe, and why I had such a large problem with eating Wardes. But you did exactly what you were asked to do," Dove leaned forwards and took Louise's hand, "Thank you."

Louise gave a tight smile. She could live with that for now.

* * *

Louise watched as the arch to the academy grounds passed and they returned to 'home'. Dove smiled as she saw the familiar faces of fellow servants working around the grounds. Both were happy to get home and back to a more normal place. When the carriage stopped, Agnes hopped off the front and marched around to face the two as they got out.

"Miss Valliere, you should go return classes. Find out what you missed while on mission and get caught up. Miss Bosquet, prepare a large batch of your potion, I have a final list of volunteers from my squad who wish to become magical," Agnes barked out her orders as if the other two were her subordinates.

"Send me a list and I'll look the names over to see if I'll allow them to receive my potion," Dove responded. Hearing from the Queen just what Lishman had been discussing with his contact had left her with an uncomfortable, protective, feeling.

"Fine," Agnes snapped. She hadn't really been listening or paying attention to anything but what she saw in front of her ever since the sight of the academy came over the horizon. Here were the answers to the questions Lishman had forced her to ask. Although she would first have to get that list to Baroness Bosquet, her musketeers were almost begging to start learning from the mage ever since Dani had cut herself sharpening a sword and Lela had healed it.

* * *

Dove burst into the kitchen and jumped up to hug the first person she ran into around the neck.

"…Nice to have you back," Martone said as Dove hung off him.

"Sorry," Dove said pulling herself off Martone, "I just needed to hug someone, it's been a little needlessly stressful this past day or so."

"I'm sure there's a story for that," Martone smiled with a leading tone of voice.

"Yup, so basic overview, someone forgot to give Louise and me clear instructions and I spent a day worrying about who we were supposed to be meeting," Dove summed up her issue.

"I see, any chance of a more in depth retelling?" Martone asked, knowing that her sudden leave of absence hadn't been for something as simple as a much-needed break.

"Maybe later," Dove temporized, "For now I want to bake."

Martone laughed, "Well I shouldn't stop you from that."

Dove smiled at her friend and moved past him to start on lunch. Meat pies and fresh fruit salad were scheduled for today. She started at the dough, heating milk and adding yeast to it before mixing flour and several other ingredients to a bowl. After the milk started to steam but not boil, Dove added the milk to the flour concoction with a bit of butter.

Setting the dough aside to rise, she started mixing honey and sugar together for the fruit salad before setting that aside as well. She had been baking for about half an hour now. It was almost ten in the morning, so she got started on the meat. First, she cubed the meat into bite sized portions, then she started browning it in spices. Her skillet was over a low flame so it would take a little while to cook, giving the meat time to absorb the spice.

Moving over to her dough after the meat was browned, she started cutting small vegetables, onion, potatoes, and cloves. Each ingredient was put into a large bowl where thyme, salt, sage, pepper, and water was added.

By this time, she needed to stir the meat and start rolling out the dough. After flouring up her hands, Dove picked up a chunk of the dough and started kneading it. Martone floured up his own hands and moved to help her.

After they had made enough pie bottoms for the meal, Martone mixed the vegetables while Dove picked up her skillet of meat. Adding the meat to the bowl made it a little harder to stir the concoction, but Martone had large arms just for this reason. He stirred the almost four foot in diameter bowl like he was stirring water to get an even mix of meat and vegetables.

Dove started laying out dough for the top of the pies while Martone started ladling the contents of his bowl into the pie pans. After he was done with the bowl, Martone moved to help Dove. Once the tops were on the rest of the pies, they went into the oven and the two chefs could take a break. Sitting down at the work table, Dove idly started stirring the honey and sugar mix to keep them from congealing while she waited.

-[]-

"What was that design?" Martone asked to break the silence.

"Design?" Dove asked, looking up from her mixing to glance at the man. She didn't know what the head chef was talking about.

"You used a little extra dough to add a design to the top of the pies," Martone said a little slowly, "Didn't you realize what you were doing?"

Dove shook her head, confusion evident, "No, what did it look like?"

"A cross like shape," Martone said thoughtfully, "Four connected oval shapes arranged to point outward like a compass. I was trying to figure out how you made them without breaking the rather delicate looking strands when you moved the shape from the table to the pie."

"I don't know how, I wasn't paying attention and lost myself in the baking," Dove mussed as she tried to think of where she could have possibly seen a design like Martone was describing.

"Well, you can see it for yourself when the pies come out and get a look at it then," Martone decided as he looked over at the piles of fruit. "Got to get to those next," he muttered as he planned the rest of the meal.

"Got it," Dove said automatically as she followed Martone's line of thought. After fifteen minutes, the pies were ready and it was nearing lunch time. Dove forgot about the design Martone said she had put on the pies as she started dicing fruits.

Apples, oranges, pears, cherries, and even a little pineapple went into the glaze she had made earlier. Martone pulled pies out and set them down in their own area to cool before serving. Dove smirked as she looked over the spread before her. The meal was done, and just in time for lunch to start.

Noticing the nearest pie, Dove' curiosity raised it's head and she moved it around to check out what she couldn't quite remember adding to the pies. Pulling the pie closer, Dove tilted it to get the full effect of her creation.

The design was just like Martone had described, an equilateral cross made from interconnected ovals. Dove however felt her cheeks heat up as her eye added imaginary lines in the background, she remembered this design.

* * *

 _"Mom," a young child asked her mother, "What's this?" The older Bosmer turned from cleaning the table in front of her to see what her child was holding. A smile pulled at her lips when she saw what her daughter had found._

 _"That is an amulet. They are said to have special powers or blessings from the Aedra on them," she said._

 _"What's this one then?" the tiny dragonborn asked, looking at the gilded circle on a string._

 _"That is an amulet to Mara, Aedra of love and motherhood," the mother answered as she gently took the necklace. "Boys give them to girls when they want to marry them. Your father gave me this one when he proposed," she added._

 _"Proposed?" the girl was too young to properly understand that meant._

 _"When a boy asks a girl to become his wife and have kids together," the elder explained._

 _"Why would the girl do that? Boys are such slobs," the child snorted in a very un-lady like manner._

 _"You'll understand when you're older," the mother assured her young. 'I'll enjoy watching how that goes over,' she thought privately as her child just looked at her with a confused expression._

* * *

Dove, here and now, understood just what her mother had been saying back then, but she still held onto her opinion that boys were slobs. 'Is that why I'm thinking of Tabitha while looking at this?' a stray thought innocently asked. Dove's face turned an even darker shade of red as in her mind's eye she saw the amulet of Mara on Tabitha's neck.

"I really want to…" Dove said in a breathless tone before she gave a completely uncharacteristic squeal and shook her head. Martone watched silently as his assistant chef apparently went insane upon looking at her pies.

"So," he started to ask, "What do those symbols mean? You obviously recognize them."

"They are symbols of one of my goddesses, Mara," Dove said, leaving as much information out as possible.

Martone frowned. He knew about Dove worshiping something other than Brimir, but it didn't interfere with her work and she didn't try to convert others so he let it slide without comment up till now.

"Why are you putting them on the pies? Only you worship more than one god," he asked.

"I wasn't paying attention," Dove defended, "They really aren't important or anything like that, no prayers were said over them and no blood sacrifices were performed, I just didn't realize what I was putting on them."

"Blood sacrifices?" Martone looked a little uneasy at Dove's word choice.

"Oh relax," the disguised Bosmer groaned, "I was joking."

Martone didn't look completely convinced but let it go for now since they needed to get the food set out on platters for the servers. Dove smiled as she worked. 'Tonight,' she promised herself.

* * *

Tabitha shifted slightly as she tried to stand in a way that was normal for a girl but didn't brush the male anatomy between her legs. She was getting better at walking without having an obvious bulge in her skirt, but when she was standing still it was apparently a lot harder to hide her genitals.

The class around her was winding down and soon they would be going out to dinner. A small part of her was excited to see what Dove had made for her. The school lunch had been meat pies with delicate looking dough toppings laid onto the crust. Tabitha felt her dick twitch at the thought of the elf, she needed to control that. She, Tabitha, needed to watch over her mother. She didn't have time to let the few added inches of flesh affect her.

Despite how much she wanted to, she couldn't watch over her mother and have relations with Dove at the same time. Her logic was sound in her mind if she ignored a few facts. It really wasn't an excuse to hide something uncomfortable from herself. Tabitha put away her book as her classmates started filing out of the room. Standing up, she joined the back of the line leaving the room. Tabitha joined up with Kirche as they moved through the hallway like a human tidal wave.

"So," the red head asked looking at the girl with hair on the other side of the color spectrum, "are you glad that Dove is back?" Tabitha nodded as she let Kirche start casual conversation.

"I liked the lunch she made when she got back, but I think we're losing her as a friend," Kirche said dramatically. Tabitha raised an eyebrow and looked at Kirche, her obvious full attention encouraging Kirche to continue.

"It's just that we haven't been with her on any of her adventures lately. Sure, we were with her when we took down Fouquet, we were with her in Albion and the battle afterwards, and for training almost daily, but now she's going off on secret missions without us," Kirche reasoned in a annoyed tone.

Tabitha shook her head. "Sometime people need to do things alone," she said heavily, talking about more than just Dove's actions.

"Ya," Kirche waved her words off, "but if you try to do everything alone then you end up without friends to fall back on." Tabitha thought about that for a bit as she walked on in silence.

"So how are things with your body?" Kirche asked, watching Tabitha's reaction. She had noticed that Tabitha was even more silent than usual and was now fishing for what was wrong.

"I am fine," Tabitha stated bluntly in a 'drop it' tone of voice.

"Really? Then why are you still so uncomfortable?" Kirche asked in a concerned tone. Tabitha gave her the silent treatment.

"Fine," Kirche relented, "But you should talk to Dove about it, maybe she thought of something that can help you feel better."

Tabitha still didn't talk to her.

* * *

Dinner was just as interesting as lunch had been. The meal was grilled salmon with parsley and orange, accompanied by salad and fresh lemon juice. The slightly tart meal was balanced out by the desert being caramel coated apple slices.

Tabitha was impressed by the tasty feast. Upon reflection, she really shouldn't have been. Dove had been making great works of oral artistry every time she walked into a kitchen, but tonight she seemed to outdo herself. Savoring the apple slices, Tabitha allowed her thoughts to drift back to her decision to not pursue a relationship with Dove.

The simple fact was that it put Dove in the sights of her uncle. If her mother hadn't taken the drink for Tabitha, then she would still be in her right mind and if someone like her mother wasn't safe from such actions then how would Dove fair in the nest of snakes? She was good at fighting, a straight up one on one, or one on large group depending on her shape, but Tabitha had seen people like that get eaten alive in Galian court.

She didn't want to put Dove in any more danger, if her ears were found out then she would be hunted down by the church and those back home wouldn't wait a second to use an event like that to their advantage.

'In summary, it is safer for Dove if she doesn't know what I feel for her,' Tabitha decided despite the pain it caused.

* * *

Dove paced her room as she waited for Tabitha to come for mediation. She was anxious for her plan to just be done already. "Tell Tabitha that I love her and see what happens," Dove muttered out loud as the stupidity of her plan suddenly reasserted itself.

It had sounded like a good idea when she had gotten it in the kitchens, so good in fact that she had embarrassingly squealed in front of Martone, but now she wasn't so sure. 'I have the subtlety of a freaking mammoth,' Dove thought as she turned to continue pacing her room. In her head, she had envisioned so many outcomes that she had lost count of them all, but the main two that kept on coming back were the ones on the most extreme ends of the spectrum. Both scenarios excited her and terrified her.

One possible outcome she had thought up was complete rejection. She was afraid of this because it would mean the loss of her most cherished friend. Fortunately, she was sure that that was an extreme reaction that wouldn't happen.

The other recurring scenario was that she accepted without any hesitation. This was what she hoped for with all her might. What frightened her about this though was the ever-present question of 'to what degree?'.

Would Tabitha accept her feelings as a friend, or as something more, or even something less?

Dove shook her head as her thoughts started cycling through the same patterns that she had covered before. This worrying was getting her nowhere, she should just sit down and wait.

Plopping herself down on the bed, Dove pulled her legs up and under herself to wait in a mediation position. Deep, calming breaths soon flowed through her nose and out her mouth as she tried to banish her growing worries.

"She loves you to."

Dove blinked and looked up as the other voice spoke. Her previously empty room, except for herself, now contained another woman. The woman was a classic blond Nord type with long loose hair and sharp cheekbones giving her a beautiful but sharp look. Her clothes were a loose dress with a long-hooded cloak that was fastened at the neck. A gilded belt circled her slim waist that matched the necklace around her neck. Both pieces of jewelry had the mark of Mara on them.

"So," Dove started focusing on the new person instead of her previous insecurities, "I know you didn't come in through the door, and no one in Tristian knows anything about conjuring living beings, so I guess you're a DAedra."

The woman smiled, "Close, Aedra."

Dove blinked and looked over the woman again, "Mara? Why are you here?"

"I can't visit my daughter with no other hidden reason?" the woman asked in a teasing voice. The Aedra walked over to the bed and sat down side by side with Dove.

"Daughter?" Dove asked for clarification.

"Akatosh came to me for my help in creating a daughter since he was incapable of making women," Mara explained, "While Akatosh gave you the soul, I shaped it to be female and helped your physical parents find each other."

"Ya, about that, you do know that you kind of screwed my view on how to find love with that," Dove was still rather embarrassed that she had thought that people could just look at each other and know that they were going to fall in love like her parents had.

Mara gave a tight smile. "I'm sorry about that," she said sincerely, "I didn't really have enough time to let them fully court each other and have you born in time to protect the world from Alduin."

"I guess that makes it alright in the end," Dove said dismissively, putting the past in the past, "So why are you here? I'm sure it isn't just to see me."

"You needed guidance," Mara said seriously, "So I'm letting you know that Tabitha feels the same about you."

Dove blinked, then she blushed. "She does?" she asked hopefully

Mara nodded towards the door, "Yes she does."

Dove felt the world get just a little bit brighter.

"Something you should be aware of," Mara's tone was reluctantly informative, "Akatosh wants grandkids. I think he will ask you to find a guy to mate with some time down the line. I'm sorry."

Dove snorted. "So, daddy wants me to have kids," Dove grumbled but then she got a strange expression on her face. "Did he tell anyone about this desire?" she asked intently.

Mara shook her head, "No, we were alone when he recently talked about it with me and before that we didn't bring it up except for when we were making your soul." Mara then froze, an expression of enlightenment crossing her face, "Sheogorath might have walked in on us just after I told Akatosh that you were in love with another girl."

"So, that's where he got the idea," Dove said her thoughts out loud.

"What did Sheogorath do?" Mara asked, suddenly concerned. While he wasn't necessarily evil, not everything from the Prince of Madness was funny.

"He gave Tabitha a penis," Dove said bluntly.

Mara blinked, "What?"

"That was basically my reaction as well," Dove grinned smile before frowning seriously again, "He visited Tabitha, the girl I love, waved his staff and now she has a manhood just above her womanhood."

Mara shook her head. "I think he might have been trying to be helpful," she hedged as she watched her daughter's face carefully, trying to figure out what her thoughts on the new appendage were.

"I know," Dove snarked, "He said that it was a gift for the 'Piggioto', I think he meant me."

Mara suddenly smiled. "It does helps with the whole grandkids thing," she said happily.

"I'm so glad that your second reaction to this is to be happy," Dove's sarcasm could have filled a tub.

"I'm sorry," Mara said without entirely meaning it as excitement started to take over, "It's just that this solves all the problems I can think of. You get your love and Akatosh and me get grandkids a lot sooner than I had thought we would."

"Mara!" Dove cried red faced but nowhere near unhappy at the thought of kids.

Unfortunately, the mother goddess was almost beyond hearing as she mentally crowed, 'GRANDKIDS~!'. Akatosh hadn't been the only one looking forwards to when Dove made some. Mara had felt the love and pride of so many grandparents when they saw their own grandchildren and never could entirely squish the pang of jealousy she would feel for them.

Suddenly, the Aedra jumped up off the bed. Dove sat there dumbfounded as the divine, powerful, beautiful goddess started dancing like a half-drunk mudcrab.

"Oh," The goddess suddenly stopped as a thought occurred to her, "I should tell Akatosh about this, but first." The woman pulled down her hood and unclasped the necklace around her neck.

"You'll need this," she said before bustling over to Dove and dropping the piece of jewelry into her shocked hand. "See you soon daughter," Mara said with a face splitting smile before vanishing in a burst of light.

Dove sat on the side of her bed. 'That was…' she tried to find the right words to describe it. 'jarring,' she finally settled on. One moment she was helping her get over her worry and then she was expounding on it with her desire for grandkids. Dove looked at the necklace, a beautiful ornate amulet of Mara, and felt her face heat up again.

That was the state Tabitha found her when she walked in for their mediation session.

* * *

 **Sorry for the long piece about cooking, it's a favorite pass time for me and didn't have the heart to take it out.**


	48. Chapter 48

**Hi and-**

 **!CRACK!**

 **(HELLOW AND WELCOME TO ALL YOU GULLIBLE HUMANS.)**

 **(THIS IS SNIPERN0SNIPING!)**

 **(SERIOUSLY IT'S ME!)**

 **(NOT SHEOGORATH)**

 **(I AGAIN, WELCOME YOU TO THIS STORY. THAT I OWN.)**

* * *

 **(HEY LOOK AT THAT, SNIPY ALREADY ANSWERED YOU REVIEWS BEFORE I CRACKED HIM/HER OVER THE HEAD WITH MY STAFF. THEY JUST NEED A TWEAK HERE AND THERE.)**

 **Guest000: Dove might get around to it, but I think its rather obvious why he gave it to her in this chapter. (TO PROMOTE CHEESE FLAVORED LUBE) I don't think that Mara would mention Tabitha's misgivings because they are stupid in her opinion. (OF COURSE)**

 **True Kimochi: (IT"S NOT A BOAT IT"S A CANOE, STILL A NICE ONE THOUGH.) There will be a climax soon. ;)**

 **legitglenn: will do. (ARE YOU A LEGILIMENS** **? LIKE THAT SNAPY GUY FROM HP? BECAUSE THAT"S HOW I READ YOUR NAME FIRST TIME.)**

 **dispendragon125: (HOW DARE YOU NOT SUPPORT MY WORK! I HAD TO COMPLETELY ERASE SNIPY'S RESPONSE TO YOU JUST TO SHOW HOW MUCH I AM OFFENDED THAT YOU DON'T SUPPORT ME!)- and that's why I agree to #savethedragons**

 **alexc123: I love them too, so much so that I gave them this chapter. (3)**

 **The One True Slacker: (HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I LOVE YOUR NAME.) I'm not entirely sure if she did join the dark brotherhood so it's a bit up in the air.**

 **Telron: That's nice to know. *Sigh of relief.**

 **the kitty killer: (YOU LOVE OLD DRAGON ON... WHAT SPECIES WAS LYDIA AGAIN? " _nord,"_ THANK YOU GOOGLE! DO YOU THINK I GOT A SHOT THAT THAT THEN?) I don't know. I have an idea on how to get another character into the story but I'm torn on who to put in.**

 **RedBurningDragon: (CLIFF~ HANGER~ HANGING FROM A CLIFF~ AND THATS WHY HE'S CALLED CLIFFHANGER~) Why get one when you can have the mother goddess herself give you one?**

 **Dragonsong2795: (TROPE) Does your continued reading mean that I wrote it well? Thank you, the slow clap is much appreciated.**

 **Touhou is Life: (I NAME YOU MY SECOND IN COMMAND. I LOVE YOUR POSTS.) Thanks, I was nervous about including so much cooking advice, they are actual recipes.**

 **Blackholelord: (THAT DASTARDLY ROMAN HAS STOLEN OUR WORK.) Roman Trooper has posted his/her story and I enjoyed it a lot, hope to read the next chapter soon.**

 **Drakefire: or more. (SQUEEEEEE!)**

 **TheENDstyler: Thank you. (WRITE MORE! I COMMAND YOU IN THE NAME OF LORD GOUDA AND LADY CHEDDAR!)**

 **amimai002: Possibly. (TOTALLY HAPPENING!)**

 **MasterXMaster: (NEVER GOING TO GET CHEESE IF YOU DON'T COOK!) I put the slight joke in the warning below just for you. (WAIT, SNIPY MADE A JOKE!?)**

 **Guest: Deus Ex Mara... The original phrase means "god in the machine" so I guess you're totally right since Mara showed up. I hope this chapter helps you get over my bad romance. (LADY GAGA PUN!)**

 **Boyzilla: (YA KNOW, I HATE YOU. YOU KEEP SNIPY THINKING LOGICALLY! IT HAS BEEN SO HARD GETTING ENOUGH POWER INSIDE OF HIS/HER HEAD TO HIT HIM/HER WITH MY STAFF AND TAKE THE LAPTOP AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT FOR HAVE SUCH GOOD CONVERSATIONS WITH HIM/HER!) There will be love tonight.**

 **pedrofaria339: (MAKING CHEESE!) Thanks.**

* * *

 **This story is Beta'd by evevee.**

 **(EXCEPT ME, I GOT TO IT JUST AFTER HE/SHE DID.)**

* * *

 **Roman trooper has posted their story, go check out what my Omake has inspired!**

 **((-_-))**

* * *

 **WARNING: LEMON** **MERINGUE** **IN THIS CHAPTER. NSFW**

 **If you do not wish to read about lemon pies, you may read until the first line and then can skip to the bottom. If you don't care about Tabitha/Dove then ignore this chapter.**

* * *

Tabitha stood outside of Dove's door for a moment, glaring at the door before collecting herself. She didn't like her decision to keep Dove out of her uncle plans by keeping her feelings to herself, but chose to do so for her benefit. Coming to Dove's bed room every night for meditation was going to make it even harder than it should have been.

'Maybe we should find a new place to meet for meditation,' Tabitha thought. If they weren't alone in her room, then maybe it would be easier to keep her feelings to herself.

Tabitha then realized that she had been standing outside of Dove's room for almost five minutes, absentmindedly looking at the wood door as if it held some secret answer.

Shaking her head in anger, Tabitha pushed her way into Dove's room. If she had been that oblivious at the royal palace in Galia then she could have been killed without a moment's hesitation by one of her uncle's servants.

She was so caught up in her mental self-disciplining that it took her a second to notice Dove. When Tabitha fulling took in the sight of the Baroness maid, she felt a tiny bubble of laughter fight for freedom within her.

Dove was gaping like a fish and blushing in a very cute way at a necklace that dangled from her hands. Tabitha felt a moment's relief as she realized that she hadn't been the only one who was lost in thought, Dove still didn't seem to have realized that the second in line for the throne of Galia had just walked in.

Interest awakened, Tabitha moved up to look at the necklace that held all of Dove's attention.

The piece of jewelry was beautiful. She was sure that the pendant part of the amulet was pure gold while the beads were Paraiba Tourmaline, the only precious stone known for it's blue-green hue that surprisingly reminded Tabitha of Dove's dragon scales.

The rest of the amulet had six gold plates, three on each side of the pendant. Each was worked in painstaking detail; one had three circles that looked like they were filled with leafs and rose petals, the next smallest had three spirals converging at the center,

Finally, the farthest up the necklace and smallest plate of gold held what looked like swirls of wind before the front of the necklace ended in a cap to keep the pieces of art from sliding. Gold chain finished the rest of the necklace around to the clasp.

The pendant was a shape that was kind of familiar to Tabitha but she couldn't think of where she had seen it before.

The largest plate of gold held an intricate raised design, an equilateral cross in the foreground and interlocking figure eights in the background. The center of it wall was a large Tanzanite stone.

It was a work of almost divine art.

"What's this?" Tabitha asked reverently.

Dove jerked at the proximity of the noise and dropped the master piece. Tabitha, startled by the violent reaction, reached out and grabbed it before the gold could fall too far.

Surprisingly the large piece of gold didn't weigh a fraction of what Tabitha had thought it would as she held it after being caught.

"Tabby? What are you doing here?" Dove asked, hoping that her complete lack of focus wasn't noticeable.

"Time for meditation," Tabitha said, still looking at the amulet.

Dove's blush grew a shade darker, "Oh, right. Sorry for spacing out and forgetting."

Tabitha softly waved the question off before repeating her question. "What is this?" her tone was a little more focused and she didn't shorten any words so that Dove would understand her better.

"...It's something I want to give you," Dove finally said as a full-face flush overtook her natural skin tone.

Tabitha frowned in confusion. She had been given lots of gifts when she was younger and her father was still alive, but in recent days she couldn't really think of the last time someone had given her something this valuable.

"Thank you," she said and unfastened the clasp.

Dove suddenly jerked and flailed her arms as if she had tried to reach for the necklace with half of her brain and tried to jerk her hands back with the other half, causing her to blunder around in indecision.

Tabitha paused as she tried to figure out Dove's strange reaction for a moment before reaching back around her neck and closing the clasp. Tabitha let her hands slide down the chain, feeling how the necklace followed the contours of her clavicle before resting on her upper chest bone.

It looked perfect on her.

Tabitha looked down, trying to scrutinize the new piece of jewelry. It felt warm, like a comforting hand had been laid over her heart. "What is it?" She asked wanting more information.

"It's called the Amulet of Mara," Dove said, pulling her eyes up from the necklace to meet Tabitha's. "Mara is the Aedra of love and motherhood," Dove muttered before bracing herself for what came next, "When one gives her amulet to someone, it shows their intent to marry them."

Tabitha took that little piece of information in and combined it with Dove's extreme blushes and came to a shocking conclusion.

"NO!" She sat back and put a hand on the amulet. Dove jumped in surprise at the loud voice and the sudden movement before her face was filled with dejected pain.

"Why not?" she asked hopefully.

"We can't," Tabitha stated the hated fact.

"Why not," Dove asked again, a little slower this time, her tone demanding a clear answer.

"Because you'd be in danger," Tabitha said plainly.

"And I'm too weak to protect myself?" Dove snapped. Tabitha shifted uncomfortably.

"No," she admitted. She honestly pitied anyone who tried to hurt Dove. Not only would Dove work them over five ways to Sunday, but she would be there to pick up and stab the remains with an icicle.

"Then why not? If I can handle it then why can't you accept the Amulet?" Dove asked before a frightened look came over her face, "Do you not like me in that way? It's just that Mara said you did but if she was wrong…"

Tabitha felt her insides twist at the look of pain, fear, and helplessness that appeared on Dove's face. She simply couldn't let that expression live much longer and leaned forwards to lock lips with Dove.

Dove felt like her mind, heart, and soul had melted, then froze, then exploded in a cascade of warm pink colors. Feeling colors, that was a new experience.

Tabitha felt like her body was burning up. Her skin felt like it was fire incarnate and Dove was soothing water.

Dove reached forwards and hesitantly placed her hands on Tabitha, one on the small of her back and the other on her shoulders without breaking contact, pulling her closer and pressing their bodies together.

Tabitha felt like she was floating in heaven when a dark thought crossed her mind causing her to pull back just a bit, "Uncle Joseph!"

"I can handle him," Dove said, causing Tabitha to realize that she had spoken out loud. "If he comes for me then I will kill him," Dove continued, her voice gaining heat as it went on, "If he comes for you then he will beg for death before I hand him over to Molag Bal to make him into a _daughter_ of coldharbour. If he comes anywhere near the both of us, I will destroy him. Please don't let someone like him get between us."

Tabitha clenched her eyes. She was afraid. That was why she had made up reasons to not get together with Dove. She was so afraid of uncle Joseph hurting Dove like he had her mother.

It felt like she was ten years old again, so small and weak yet facing down a three-headed dragon, only in her mind the dragon towering over her had Joseph's sneering face. In her mind, his eyes promised inescapable madness and death.

A soft touch on her cheek pulled her attention back to here and now instead of her terror. Dove was kissing her along her cheekbones before pulling back and smiling pleadingly.

"Trust me?" she asked.

Tabitha knew that answer. She reached forwards and hugged Dove, trying to pull the elf into herself.

Dove smiled and kissed Tabitha on the cheek again.

* * *

The two sat together on Dove's bed, simmering in the companionship that being together brought forth. Tabitha felt her fear slowly drain out of her as Dove held her, giving her occasional kiss whenever the mood struck the elf. She suddenly felt something twitch in her skirt. She had honestly forgotten about that appendage until now. Dove apparently felt it as well because she gave a low hum.

"I guess you do trust me," she purred with confidence that she just barely managed to hold onto. Tabitha nodded dumbly and pulled back from her… girlfriend? Yes, Dove was her girlfriend. Looking down, the blue haired girl saw the bulge in her skirt. She blushed and started adjusting her sitting position to hide it.

Before she could hide her erection, another hand entered her field of vision. Tabitha gasped as Dove wrapped her fingers around the hard rod, a blush spreading across her face.

Dove's equally red face came back in for a kiss as she started stroking her hand along the length of Tabitha's shaft. Tabitha's instant reaction to her bold move encouraged Dove to tighten her grip ever so slightly. Tabitha moaned into the kiss and jerked her hips forwards. Dove felt her own arousal as her nipples pressed into Tabitha's back while her panties were growing moist.

With her free hand, Dove felt for the clasp of Tabitha's skirt. Dove found the button at the top of the skirt and unfastened it before slipping her hand into the cloth, finding the hem of Tabitha's panties. She pulled back, causing Dove to pout at the apparent denial of consent, before relaxing back into a smile as Tabitha used both hands to get at her lover's dress buttons.

Tabitha felt Dove pawing at her hips and responded by reaching up for the buttons to the maid's dress, loosening her neckline. Dove responded in kind by loosening and removing the Gallian mage's cloak.

Suddenly pushing herself off the bed, Dove stood and shrugged her shoulders out of the now very loose dress, revealing her smooth shoulders and breast bone. Instead of pulling the rest of the maid uniform off, she started gyrating her hips and chest, the only parts that now held the garment on her frame.

Tabitha watched, her dick starting ache as Dove's dress started to slide off. First went the neckline as it slipped down her breasts until it desperately hung from Dove's erect nipples. The next gyration, however, proved too much for the weakly hanging cloth and it fell away to display all the way to her hips in one smooth motion, pausing again as it got bunched in her apron. One final shift of her perfect hips and the cloth gave way to pool in a puddle at her toes.

Dove stood there in all her near-nude glory. Her chest was a respectable expanse of skin, almost as large as Kiriche's proud bust, supported by two dark purple cups with a decorative pink bow seemingly holding the structure together in the center.

As her dress came off entirely, Dove placed her hands just under her bosom and slid them down her toned stomach to tease at the band of her matching purple panties. Her legs were encased in thigh high stockings that continued the bow theme around the fringe. Her body was somehow soft looking even with the toned muscles defined under her tan skin. The only mar on her beautiful body were a minor collection of scars on her forearms, a testament to her skills with a blade and restoration magic.

Dove moved back to the bed with a deliberate sway in her hips as Tabitha tried to tear her eyes from the figure before her. As Dove crawled on the bed in a manner befitting a predator stalking its prey, Tabitha leaned back while making eye contact with the Bosmer. Her arousal made itself known as it was pushed against the panties holding it in, creating a noticeable bulge in the skirt on top.

Coming to a stop over the hump, Dove gave Tabitha a smile that belied the nervous anticipation she felt. Bringing her legs beneath her and kneeling between Tabitha's thighs, Dove slowly reached forward and lifted Tabitha's skirt to reveal the wet and strained underwear beneath. Keeping eye contact with the blue-haired girl, Dove hooked her fingers around the edge of the panties and slowly tugged them down to free the throbbing shaft.

Tabitha lifted her legs so that Dove could pull the small piece of cloth all the way off and throw it away. With that done, Dove slowly leaned down towards the impromptu appendage. Tabitha's eyes widened as Dove planted a kiss on the swollen tip. Tabitha sucked in a large breath as the wave of pleasure hit her.

"More."

The word was out of the girl's mouth before she could stop it. Dove's smile grew with her joy at the pleasure of her lover. Feeling daring, Dove engulfed the entire head and started sucking. Tabitha moaned and let her head fall backwards onto the bed while pushing up her chest to keep from thrusting into Dove's throat. The action pulled her blouse tight and her nipples started showing through her shirt.

Dove rolled her tongue and bobbed her head, leaving a glistening trail on the shaft as she pulled back. Her mouth now had a strange taste that she thought might be precum. Pulling her head up, Dove let Tabitha's dick come out of her mouth with a pop, causing it to bounce a bit.

Tabitha mewled cutely as she lost the sensation of suction, then sucked in another breath when Dove reached up and teased the tip with two of her fingers while squeezing the base as if massaging it. Tabitha was overwhelmed by the stimulus and couldn't help but thrust up. Seeing the reaction, Dove ceased the ministrations with her hand and once more leaned forward. The elf then drew her tongue up the appendage, slowly licking Tabitha's dick like an ice cream cone, starting at the base where it formed between her pussy and short blue pubic hair and ending at the slit on the tip.

Tabitha unfastened the buttons of her own blouse as Dove continued. Sensing that the moment was right, Dove placed both of her lubricated fingers at the entrance to Tabitha's rose and gently pushed in to the second knuckle. With her free hand, Dove held Tabitha's length steady, gently running her tongue along the shaft while also pumping her fingers into her lover's depths.

"I- Ah, Brimir tha-" Tabitha moaned, her breath getting shorter and shorter as she got closer to climax, her hips bucking under the elf's ministrations. In response, Dove moved her hand from the dick in front of her to her own slit and started stroking the cloth, causing her pussy to clench and start to drip.

"No, 'Ah, Akatosh,'" Dove said cheekily before taking Tabitha's entire length in her mouth. Dove let out a hum of pleasure at the sensations she felt coming from her hips, courtesy of her fingers. She began to pull back as she felt Tabitha's dick throb strongly in response.

The vibrations of Dove's throat against her shaft proved too much for Tabitha and she cried out as she came. Unlike when she had toyed with herself, Tabitha felt the complete joy of cumming when Dove pushed her over the edge. Thick strands of cum sloshed into Dove's mouth, causing her to jerk back a bit in surprise at the unexpected addition. Before she could pull back and spit, Tabitha reached forward and held Dove's head with both hands, pulling the elf's head down and letting the rest of the load squirt into her mouth.

Tabitha started to relax as her dick finished pumping its substantial reward to the elf for her efforts. Dove looked up at the glowing cerulean, locking her lustful eyes on Tabby's slightly clouded ones as she pursed her lips and sucked at the softening cock still in her mouth. Tabitha let her go, allowing Dove to pull off her dick entirely, making sure to not leave a drop behind.

Dove crawled up the bed, her knees on either side of Tabitha as she slowly made her way up the sweaty body of her lover. She dipped her stomach down to sandwich Tabitha's dick between them shortly before lifting again and continuing her advance. As her face came level with Tabitha's petite breasts, Dove slid her knees to either side of Tabitha and let the shrinking appendage contact her wet panties as the two girl's hips fit together.

Opening her mouth, Dove presented the pool of cum that filled her mouth and coated her tongue like a trophy to her lover. Tabitha moved one hand to hold Dove against her while the other rose to close the elf's mouth. Dove got the message and tilted her head back to swallow in an exaggerated manner, her adam's apple bobbing as Tabitha's seed made its way into her. Mouth now clear, Dove repositioned Tabitha's hand behind her head and leaned down to kiss the blue-haired girl.

Tabitha petted Dove's hair before moving both hands to grab at Dove's rear. As her lips and backside were both massaged, Dove let out a low moan in pleasure. Tracing her girlfriend's panties, Tabitha slowly worked her way down from the waist band and into crack between Dove's thighs. Dove slowly ground her hips as Tabitha's fingers made their way closer and closer to the back of her pussy.

"Almost there," Dove gasped into Tabitha's ear. At Dove's encouragement, Tabitha put one of her fingers directly over the hottest part of Dove's nether region and pushed in as far as the cloth separating their two bodies would allow.

"Stop teasing!" Dove cried at the hint of the pleasure to come. Tabitha felt her penis throb slightly as Dove grinded against it but didn't comply. Instead, she added a second finger to the first one pushing at Dove's entrance and used her other hand to find Dove's clit.

Dove bucked harder at sensation as she tried to break her underwear to get at those fingers. Pushing herself upright, Dove lifted herself off Tabitha just a bit and quickly reached down to roughly pull the crotch piece aside, allowing Tabitha to access her dripping hole.

Tabitha complied with the demand and buried two of her fingers up to the palm inside of Dove. Dove moaned and clamped down on Tabitha, trying to milk all the pleasure she could from those two fingers. Tabitha gasped at how hot in was inside of Dove and her erection woke up even more as if eager to feel it for itself.

Dove rolled her head slowly in ecstasy as Tabitha tried to return the experience the elf had given her. As Dove became warmed up, she took notice of the growing shaft caught between her trench and Tabitha's lower stomach. In one smooth move Dove pushed herself up with her arms to either side of Tabitha's head, letting the appendage between them pop up slightly as it was freed.

Tabitha gasped as pressure on her dick suddenly increased as Dove slid forward to once more trap the shaft between them. Kneeling back and bringing her body fully upright, Dove shifted her body so that she could grab onto the panties still encasing her hips. A quick spell later and the cloth was thrown aside, the material proving unable to stand up to the ethereal blade Dove had conjured. A quick flick to dispel the knife and Dove could reach back and unhook her bra, allowing her assets to fall free from their confines.

With that done, Dove lifted herself up and grabbed onto Tabitha's dick, lining it up with her swollen entrance. As Tabitha flicked her eyes between Dove's uncovered breasts and the gap between them, Dove started to slowly sink down. Just as her nether lips started to part on Tabitha's manhood, Dove paused as if remembering something.

"Are you okay with this?" she asked in a slightly sheepish voice, "Do you want me to slow down?"

Tabitha didn't answer with her voice. Instead, she thrust her hips upwards, pushing herself further into Dove's tight entrance, causing Dove to gasp in shock at the sudden movement. They were now connected by their respective parts, and Dove loved every second of it. Pushing down gently, Dove managed to squeeze further down Tabitha's length before pulling back up to starting again.

Eventually she relaxed enough that she could slide all the way down until the two girl's hips touched. Reversing the movement, Dove pulled herself up and almost all the way off Tabitha's body before she started gyrating her hips, shaking them like a belly dancer.

Tabitha was lost to the moment as waves of pleasure rocked her world, her eyes wide and her mouth open as she unconsciously tried to thrust back into her lover. Dove looked down to take in Tabitha's expression and movements. A gorgeous smile spread across her face as she granted the mage's desire and sank back down onto her.

Dove moaned as her hips touched Tabitha's own before bouncing back up a few inches and sinking again. Dove rode Tabitha like a dragon, large thrusts that almost left her base before returning to grind herself on her mount. She whined as she approached the edge of her own orgasm.

Tabitha simply couldn't contain herself and hoarsely gasped as she came inside of Dove. Dove cried out as the sudden explosion of warmth inside of her. The eager throb of Tabitha's length fully sheathed in her pushed her over the edge and her vaginal muscles clamped down on Tabitha's dick, unwilling to let the intruder leave without delivering its full load. The warmth from Tabitha spread up Dove's body and she suddenly felt like she had just finished a trek up to High Hrothgar.

Relaxing, Dove allowed her body to gently lay over Tabitha. Shifting around, Dove rolled over and pulled Tabitha into a weak hug, still connected by their intimate parts as Tabitha's seed continued to squirt deep into her. Tabitha, breathing a little heavily, started to push her way out of the embrace.

"Where are, you going?" Dove asked as she tightened her arms a bit.

"To bed," Tabitha answered as she reached down to button her shirt. Dove snorted softly and moved her hands out of the embrace to pull the shirt from Tabitha's shoulders.

"You are sleeping here tonight," she declared in a no nonsense voice. Tabitha had no problem with that, her body was tired and sore and she didn't want to leave.

"I need my night clothes," she tried to reason. It wouldn't be good if anyone caught her in bed with Dove since that information might lead back to her uncle. Dove sighed and pulled Tabitha's shirt the rest of the way off.

"I don't have an issue with what you're wearing," she said lightly, gently pulling Tabitha back down to lay on her chest. Tabitha glanced at the door, imagining someone coming in and finding them. Dove glanced at the door when she noticed Tabitha's gaze. "I see," she reassured, "Don't worry, no one comes in here until morning." She shifted around and pulled the blankets down to allow the connected lovers to slip beneath them before turning back to Tabitha, "Trust me."

Tabitha slowly nodded before burying herself under the comforter and between Dove's breasts. It felt safe being there, she could not deny how good it felt touching her lover. Dove hummed contentedly as sleep started to come for her, lulling her in deeper with the body heat that was being shared with Tabitha's own.

* * *

 **(HAPPY VALENTINES DAY TO ALL YOU ALL!)**

 **(I HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED MY LITTLE FUN.)**

 **(SNIPY WAS GOING TO WRITE SOMETHING ABOUT WHERE JULIO ENDED UP BUT I THOUGHT THAT YOU WOULD ENJOY MY FUN INSTEAD.)**

 **(NOW TO POST BEFORE SNIPERN0SNIPING WAKES UP.)**


	49. Chapter 49

**Well... That happened.**

 **Sorry for the last chapter.**

 **He hit me from behind.**

 **Anyway.**

 **I don't own Familiar of zero, or Skyrim.**

* * *

 **NuggetMuncher: Well, sorry but I felt the need to challenge myself by writing a lemon, sorry if it apparently didn't work for you.**

 **Guest000: Yes, by Skyrim law Tabitha is Dove's fiance. I have no idea just yet about the queenship right now, Dove would be a laid back queen if she did become one though. The reason why FOZ has so little male characters is because that's the type of story FOZ is; throw a bunch of girls at a guy and watch the fireworks.**

 **TheENDstyler: That reminds me, I need to decide on how Dove gives birth. (I AM APPEASED FOR NOW)**

 **Mysterioustgexpert: And me! Don't forget that I wrote it before Sheo conked me out. :P**

 **True Kimochi: Really? there has been some who really don't like the futa love, it just rubs them the wrong way and they have been vocal about their displeasure.**

 **RedBurningDragon:... Did Sheo take over your account? Because I'm having a hard time understanding your review.**

 **Boyzilla: What kind of M-rated tips? hehe, "M-rated tips" hee I'm mature. The political atmosphere... Forecast calls for tornadoes and meteors.**

 **MaterXMaster: You're welcome. If you think of it, how often do people get pregnant their first time? So a bit of realism, not preg yet.**

 **alexc123: Then I hope it lived up to your expectations.**

 **the kitty killer: need tissues? The thing is, honestly, I feel bad for kicking Siato out of his story. Part of me wants to bring him back but that would be a major issue. I'm undecided on who.**

 **helkil: Thank you.**

 **Touhou is Life: (You are welcome second!) I don't know. It is in a middle ages-ish setting and I don't quite know what they had back then. Maybe they have a spell? but that doesn't quite match with their magic, what element would contraception spells be?**

 **BlitzkegHOSS: then wait until you get home. Still, I'm grinning like a madman because it worked. (^u^)**

 **Mad God 42: NEVER! IF I PRAISE HIM HE"LL COME BACK!**

 **The One True SLacker: Yes, yes you should. Shame on you. ;P**

 **amimai002: Dove was well aware of what needs to be done, it was just getting there that she didn't know. I can see prudes going the color of prunes and then screaming at their computer, in the library.**

 **link01742: Thank you. getting feedback like that makes me feel better about the chapter.**

 **mechalekkahai: Look bellow.**

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 **This story is Beta'd by evevee**

 **evevee(Beta) in response to review from Mechalekkahai - This also isn't a film, so I'm not sure what an MPAA rating has to with anything. I know what the rating guidelines of FanFiction say about this, but at the same time this isn't just a one-shot porn jot. If people can flame stories in reviews and not get punished, then stories with sexual content (and warnings about that content) should be the least of FF's moderating concerns. If you don't want to read it, then don't. Not even sure why FF doesn't allow MA. If they're worried about legal jargon, then only allowing registered accounts with birthdays showing the user is over 18 would take care of that. Someone registers as 18 who's not, that's not their problem.**

* * *

Dove sighed in contentment, only partially awake. Her body felt tired and deliciously warm, the perfect way to feel on mornings when she just didn't want to leave bed. The sound of light breathing pulled Dove's eyes open to focus on the other person in her bed.

Tabitha was still asleep on top of Dove. Her head lay on Dove's breasts with the crown of her hair sitting in the curve of Dove's neck. Dove could feel the blue-haired girl's breasts pressed against the bottom of her own as they lay on her sternum. The warmth they shared was obviously being enjoyed by both considering they had not moved throughout the night.

Taking in a deep breath, Dove tried to memorize everything about her bed partner in this moment. How soft and relaxed she looked compared to her normally guarded expression, what her scent was, the way her hair was haphazardly strewn about from their lovemaking, everything that was perfect about Tabitha.

As if sensing her gaze, Tabitha shifted a bit and moaned as if she was dreaming. Dove felt a twitch from below as something moved within. Looking down, Dove blushed just a bit to see that Tabitha was still sheathed in her and had begun to grow as she got a case of morning wood. A pleased smiled formed on Dove's face as she thought about the actions of last night and the solidification of the bond between them.

Then a slightly devious grin grew on her face as a thought occurred to her. Her attention was brought from her thoughts as the length within her continued to harden and Tabitha's weight began to push the appendage deeper. Wincing as the soreness of her first time made itself known, Dove slowly rolled over so that they were laying side by side. Gently pulling herself off Tabitha's dick before it grew fully erect, Dove slithered out from under the covers.

Her action came just in time as Tabitha's wet dream caused her to thrust into the now-absent hole, something that would've rather hurt for Dove if she had still been there. Her lover now missing in action, Tabitha started stirring as her body registered the decrease in heat and comfort. Ignoring the movement, Dove hurried over to her dresser and started searching.

Ahh~ Nad~da~dedaa~

High is the moon tonight, la~

Hiding it's guiding light,

High~

Sovngarde and earth do sleep~

Still in the dark so deep,

I will the darkness sweep,

La~da~da~de~da~

A moment or two after the warmth vanished, Tabitha drowsily pawed at the covers around her as she tried to recover. She ached, but in a pleasant way, a little like how her muscles would feel after good exercise. Instead of local aches, though, this was the feeling of her entire body and the warmth, whatever it was, helped increase that good feeling.

La~na~da~de~da~

I will the moon to flight,

I will the heavens bright,

I will the earth delight,

Nada~de~la

The soft sound of a woman's voice slowly penetrated her sleepy mind as it started to wake up. The voice was nice, the song sounded like a folk song that made her mind create images of mountains filled with female singers. It was a simple song, but the voice somehow made it feel grand as it built in volume.

Open your eyes with me La~da~de~da

See paradise with me,

Awake and arise with me,

Ya~da~da~de~da

Ya~da~da~de~da~la

Ya~da~da~de~da

Tabitha finally opened her eyes fully and shifted in bed to pull the warm covers tighter around her shoulders and look around. Her first thought was that this wasn't her room. Then she saw Dove and everything from the night before came back with a happy vengeance.

Dove was sitting on the side of the bed, singing softly. The maid's loving gaze stayed fixed on her as she sang. Tabitha blinked as she felt her lips pull in a direction that they hadn't gone in several years. Dove's eyes somehow grew even more loving as she saw Tabitha's care free smile.

I am the dawn, I'm the new day begun~

I bring you the morning~, I bring you the sun~

I hold back the night and I open the skies~

I give light to the world, I give sight to your eyes~

Dove's voice swelled with happiness and a hint of lust as she saw Tabitha take in her figure. Dove had put her white apron and headpiece on, supplementing the purple, thigh-high stockings that had been the only thing left on her body from the night before. Her breasts were only just contained by the apron's tight top that undercut her cleavage and let her nipples peek out the edges. Her sides and back were open for gazing and skin contact.

As she took this in, Tabitha's morning wood made her uncomfortably aware of its existence as the tip of the growing length brushed against the covers above. The size of the tent it created only increased as Dove moved from the side of the bed, crawling sensually across the covers until she was straddling her girlfriend just short of the large bulge.

From the first of all time, until time is undone~

Forever and ever and ever and ever~

And I am the dawn and the sky and the sun~

I am one with the One~ and I am~ the dawn~

Dove let her voice fade from a beautiful crescendo as she leaned down to catch Tabitha's lips in a hungry kiss, the hard rod below her poking into her stomach as it refused to bend.

"Miss Tabitha," Dove said, pulling back a bit and speaking in light voice, "You appear to have gotten yourself in between your bed and a hard place. You looked strained, maybe even in pain. May I relieve you of your burden?"

The hand reaching towards the erect pole reaching almost halfway up Dove's stomach left no question as to the answer she expected to receive. Tabitha gave her response by reaching around and grasping Dove's rear and catching the maid for another deep kiss. Dove moved away from the contact after as short bit and smiled down at Tabitha.

Tabitha started to smile back but gasped suddenly as Dove slid down, pulling the sheets down with her. Hands that had been on Dove's backside moved to her shoulder blades and then became entangled in the maid's hair as she once more went to work.

* * *

Kirche hummed as she as took an early morning stroll through the academy. For a student, she was an early riser. When there were boys around for her to 'talk' to, she found that she could spend hours up at night and hence was known for being a late arrival to class. Now, without men that thought with their 'head' and not their brain, she found herself going to bed at a much earlier time and waking up with so much time before class that she could afford to have long walks in the morning.

Right now, she was walking through a random empty hall. She knew that this was the servants quarters and that all the servants had gotten up and started working almost half an hour before even she had been awake. Rounding a corner in the hall, Kirche almost walked right into Tabitha.

"Oh," Kirche inhaled in surprise, "Sorry Tabs, I didn't see you there." Tabitha looked up and smiled at her redheaded friend. Kirche blinked in more surprise at the open happiness that Tabitha was showing. "What has you in such a good mood?" she asked, smiling back at the blue haired girl, Kirche could honestly say that in this moment Tabitha looked the happiest she had ever seen.

"Just enjoying the day," Tabitha said. Even her voice was light and happy instead of that almost breathy reserved tone that she normally spoke in. She seemed a lot younger with a voice that matched her height.

"Really?" It was far too early for that to be true. Kirche didn't buy that as the only reason for her friends change for a heartbeat. Taking a slightly closer look, Kirche noticed that Tabitha's hair was slightly off and that the girl had a slightly sweaty smell, like she had been working out a little while earlier and hadn't gotten to the bath to wash it out just yet. Something about the way Kirches friend was… disheveled, struck a chord within the redhead.

"So, are you on a walk as well?" Kirche honestly didn't have any else to talk about.

"I was meeting with Dove," Tabitha answered calmly. Kirche luckily didn't notice the cerulean fighting a blush.

"Meeting with Dove left you so sweaty? Are you doing extra lessons together?" Kirche fished for a topic to talk about.

"Something like that," Tabitha said.

Kirche walked alongside her friend for a bit before giving up. "What is it Tabs? I need you to give me something so that we can talk," She whined, "I know that you've been busy with your bodies addition, but it's like you suddenly closed me out entirely."

Tabitha winced, "I'm sorry."

"Please just talk to me, or invite me to hang around with Dove and you, okay?" Kirche asked sadly.

Tabitha decided to throw her a bone. "Are you asking to have a threesome?" she asked with carefully exaggerated calm.

Kirche blinked.

Then she fully registered what Tabitha had said. Turning on her heel, Kirche grabbed Tabitha by the shoulders and examined her friend from top to bottom. Slightly sweaty face, clothes on but done up just a little unevenly, her stride exaggerated as if her crotch was tender, and finally Tabitha smelled of love making. Kirche was blown away by this development.

"When?" She asked as her brain tried to connect the thoughts of sweet reserved Tabitha and sex in a reasonable manner.

"Last night," Tabitha answered without hiding anything.

"How long?" Kirche started to process.

"Until I came in her," Tabitha answered not realizing what TMI stood for.

Kirche, despite her reputation, colored just a bit at the images her mind created for that. On the other hand, because of her reputation, she had to ask, "Are you serious about a threesome? It's so boring without the boys around."

Tabitha shrugged, "Maybe."

* * *

Dove flitted around the kitchen as if she was floating on a cloud of pure happiness. Everyone who saw her could tell that she was very pleased with something, her face lit up like the one candle in a dark room as she danced everywhere she went. A hum filled the room as Dove mixed cupcakes for a little later around lunch time. Her generous mood filled the space while Martone tried to figure out just what had Dove so happy.

"Has that boy you were mooning over finally kissed you?" he asked from where he stood safely behind the table. Dove paused in her mixing to look over at the head chef.

"What?" she inquired, trying to figure out who he was talking about.

"Remember when you skived off an entire day to go somewhere? I thought that you had snuck off to see a boy," Martone recounted.

Dove frowned for a second as she tried to remember before a smile cleared her expression. "That's right, just before lieutenant Michel was revealed to be a spy," she said softly. "Maybe he did," Dove said in a louder tone to satisfy the gossipy members of the staff, "and that is all you're going to get from me."

An audible groan emanated from a few of the staff while the Musketeer on guard gave a short laugh at their expense. Dove just ignored them and looked over at the oven where breakfast was cooking. As some members of the staff started to try to figure out ways to get the information out of Dove, another Musketeer came in and handed a sheet of parchment to the guard at the door. The Musketeer at the door gave her comrade a nod in place of a salute and took the paper from the messenger.

"Baroness Bosquet," she intoned formally, "I have just received my captain's list of volunteers' for your project."

"Bring it here," Dove said, gesturing the other woman forwards. The Musketeer sighed as Dove apparently didn't follow protocol but moved up and handed the list over without comment. Dove looked over the list and sighed, "About what percentage of the musketeers currently stationed here at the academy does this list contain?"

"About seventy percent," her guard answered, she was also on that list.

"Right, perfect," Dove groused, "How am I supposed to interview these?"

"You could start with me," the guard offered helpfully.

Dove sighed again, "It's going to be a long week of interviews, isn't it?" Handing out magicka like candy at festival simply wasn't the right way to go about this.

The Musketeer could only shrug.

Dove finished mixing the cupcakes as she tried to figure out a way to make this a little easier on her. 'If the problem is my fears regarding what they might do with this power… then I would need to know what they plan on doing with my gift,' Dove paused in her baking and grinned as an idea occurred to her.

"Could you get all the people on this list assembled together after dinner sometime?" Dove asked the Musketeer.

"Will this be part of training with magic?" the musketeer asked in response.

"Yes," Dove said.

"Then I can get them together just after lunch before we do our individual training," she responded smartly.

"Martone, will you need me after lunch?" Dove asked, looking at the man.

Martone looked up and thought about it for a second. "No," he decided, "I'll have everything I need for dinner ready to start baking by then." It was a cold day so dinner was slow cooked chili and rolls.

"Then have everyone meet then," Dove ordered to her guard, "The selection will be happening then."

"Yes ma'am," the musketeer saluted.

* * *

Kirche lurked just outside of the kitchens for what felt like an hour as she waited to get her hands on Dove. Tabitha hadn't given her anywhere near enough details about what had happened last night, so now the flirty red head was going after the other person who had been there. As she waited, Kirche found herself appreciating how much time went into baking. It had to have been an hour since she had slipped away (Ineffectively) from Tabitha and she still hadn't seen hide nor hair of the elf.

"Come on, Dove," Kirche grumbled to herself, "I need to know what happened. Come on out and give me the juicy bits." It took almost another fifteen minutes for Dove to show herself outside of the kitchen. The moment Dove left the protection of the kitchen Kirche pounced.

"DOVE! I need to have a word with you," Kirche shouted.

Dove paused in her walk, quite literally as her foot was still in the air when she had been stopped. "Hi Kirche," she said a touch nervously as the Germalian bore down on her. Kirche prowled up to Dove and seized her by the arm.

"I have some questions about what you were doing last night young lady," Kirche mock scolded.

"But Kirche~" Dove played along just a bit with her, "I was in my room at bedtime, I'm not a little girl after all."

"But were you in your by yourself?" Kirche asked raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, What's going on?"

Kirche blinked and looked behind Dove to see who had spoken. Behind Dove was a musketeer in uniform, her hair was a light brown with a formal but confused set to her face.

"This is my friend, Kirche Zerbst," Dove said, introducing Kirche to her guard, "We're just playing around a bit."

"A foreigner?" the woman asked, wary of the possible danger.

"Yup," Dove said in an almost challenging tone, "Did you know that I'm from another country just like her? Us foreigners have to stick together and all that." The Musketeer just nodded as she filed that piece of information away.

"So," Kirche returned to her reason to be there, "What happened with Tabitha last night?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out," Dove said evenly.

Kirche raised an eyebrow, "I'm trying to find out by asking you. Please~ tell me?"

Dove opened her mouth to answer but before she could another voice from the kitchens called for their attention. "Hey, you're in the way and we need to get this to the dining hall." Dove and her Musketeer guard looked back behind themselves. The doorway behind the small crowd was full of people carrying platters of bread and jam or pancakes with a choice of honey or syrup. Light slices of ham and cheese were being carried just behind them.

"Sorry," Dove said and moved down the hall and moved down a side corridor. Kirche and her musketeer guard followed her out of the way.

"So," Dove started the conversation, "Why didn't you ask Tabitha? Obviously you talked to her already."

"She asked if I would like to have a threesome and didn't answer any of my clarifying questions," Kirche claimed with a pout. Still a little in the dark, Dove's guard choked a little as she put together what must have happened based on Kirche's words.

Dove grinned shamelessly, "Maybe it would be fun to have a threesome, but then again I'm rather possessive of my girlfriend."

"I'm not looking for a threesome right now," Kirche said in an annoyed tone, "I want to know how it happened."

Dove stuck out her tongue before responding. "I was visited by an Aedra of love and was given assurances of where her heart fell on the matter," Dove spoke calmly, a minor accomplishment as she thought back on last night, "Then we made love. That's all you're getting out of me."

"But I want to know more," Kirche whined, ignoring how flabbergasted their third wheel looked,

"Who initiated? How many times did you guys-?"

"And you don't need to know," Dove responded quickly blushing furiously, "That's between me and Tabitha."

"Please?" Kirche asked, desperately trying puppy eyes.

"No," Dove said with finality, "It's between me and Tabitha."

Kirche seemed to deflate with disappointment. "Fine," she grumbled, "I guess I'll just have to take Tabitha up on that Threesome offer." New plan in mind, Kirche wished Dove a good day and left to hunt down Tabitha, it would be easier to convince her to a threesome since she had offered.

Dove sighed as she was sure that Kirche wasn't going to let this go. The redhead was simply used to having a lot of late night 'conversations' and was in desperate need for some intelligent conversation.

"So, you and another woman?" her guard asked for clarity.

Dove smiled, "Yup, we became official last night."

"Ah," the musketeer said with a nod, filing that information away.

* * *

The group of musketeers hoping to get magicka stood outside of the academy building in one of the green courtyards that was out of the immediate line of sight from the students. The staff, on the other hand, every single one of them who wasn't currently teaching were gathered with the soldiers. They were hoping to get to see some of this magic for themselves since Dove was so careful about when she used it. Speaking of Dove, she had just arrived with her guard just behind her.

"Good afternoon," she said as she got closer, "Today I'm going to see who gets to take my potion. The rules for doing so are simple; answer my questions."

The musketeers looked around at each other they had thought that there would be a test based on what those who personally met the baroness had said about her but they had expected something a little more physical.

"You're standing in a field like this one, garbed as you are now. There is a man with a sword in front of you," Dove started, "His face is flecked with blood. At his feet is another man with a sword, only this one is bleeding. You have three spells, healing hands, summon familiar, or frost. What do you do?"

The twenty people looked at each other. 'What do they do?' Those who were already magical frowned in confusion.

"Summon familiar? Wouldn't it be too late to try bringing some animal into the fight?" one asked a colleague. Dove ignored them, focusing only on how the musketeers would answer her. One person stepped forwards and spoke in a confident voice.

"I would pull out my pistol and shoot at the standing man's leg before moving forwards and demanding to know what happened."

Another stepped forwards and disagreed, "I would use frost on the man to freeze him, before using healing hands to help the one on the ground."

No one else seemed to have another idea of what to do.

"Two ideas," Dove said diplomatically, "Who agrees with option one?"

Fifteen musketeers raised their hands.

"And the rest agree with option two?" Dove asked and got five nods.

Dove was silent as she judged the answers.

"A person comes to you," Dove phrased the next question carefully, "They offer you power in exchange for a favor. They can give you knowledge or power if you ask for it, they can grant you strength and speed beyond what you could ever hope to achieve before." The musketeers waited for Dove to finish, sure that they knew what the question would be.

"You agree," they hadn't been expecting that, "and have access to all the power you could want. What do you do next?" The group didn't know. The problem with many people was that they wanted power just for powers sake. "I want everyone to come up and give me their answers individually," Dove specified, "No one but me will know what you say."

The women of the musketeer corps were hesitant. If it truly was just between the two of them then what would their companions say? Finally, one in the middle of the pack moved forwards and stopped just in front of Dove to whisper softly.

"I see, please stand over there," Dove said without any judgment. The musketeer could have just told her that she was a flying elephant and she wouldn't have responded. The woman nodded decisively and then moved to stand to the side out of hearing range of Dove. Encouraged by her neutral expression, one more person moved up and spoke.

"I see, please stand over there," Dove said again without inflection.

Two moved at the same time only to pause indecisively as they realized that another had tried to come up at the same time. An awkward moment passed before the one on the left, from Doves point of view, moved forwards.

"I see, please stand over there" Dove said again. The entire event passed in this manner until all the volunteers had come up and then left to join the 'finished' group.

"I like all of your answers," Dove stated as the last musketeer joined her companions, "and I'm pleased to announce that I am willing to let all of you take my potion." Grins spread across the group but a few dimmed a bit as Dove continued. "I would like to let you know something, however. In the first question, those who chose to freeze the man with the sword and heal the one on the ground, have helped the bandit escape by freezing the guardsman. I would like to discuss your approach next time."

Most of the Musketeers had answered just as Dove had thought they would, they would serve their country with their new skills, those that hadn't would bear watching. The first question however gave her insight on their methods and would need to be addressed.

Dove ignored their groans that there had been no way that they could have known that since she hadn't provided the information, and they were right. She had deliberately left that information out because the entire question was pointless. She just wanted them to go with their first thoughts before she got them to start thinking of the consequences of their actions. They were musketeers so they had to have a high level of competency, but now they were becoming mages and she required even more of them.

"Why didn't you tell us that he was a guard?" one of the five who had answered for the frost asked.

"Unlike just now, you didn't ask," Dove pointed out, "No one asked any clarifying questions. I want you to think through every situation that comes up from now on and if you don't know what to do, seek out more information." Hopefully the smarter ones in the group would take her words seriously. "Now then, I guess I'll have to go make a large batch of potion. If you would be so kind as to excuse me? I be back in under an hour."

Dove implored before moving without getting an answer. A lot of potion would be needed for this group, Dove started working over the amounts in her head.

"I need to plant my own mountain flowers," Dove muttered to herself as she walked past the entrance to the academy, it was rather hard to find mountain flowers in the forest since it was a different type of environment, she had been lucky to find the patch that she had made the previous potions from.

Thankfully the berries were easy to find. Maybe she should create a greenhouse out here in the forest, or at least something to make sure that she didn't run out of potion ingredients. 'Or maybe I could try different potions that were common to Skyrim and have much more common ingredients here in Tristian, to see what they did in people from here.'

Health potions were common enough and appeared to work just fine in people from this land, but what about stamina potions or temporary increasing strength potions? Would they have different effects on the people here than they do in Skyrim?

Dove simply didn't know what they would do, and people might not be willing to try different versions Dove's colorful drinks. 'Unless they didn't know about them,' a sneaky voice in her head whispered to Dove as she walked.

* * *

"Oh, Brimir, what happened? I feel so sore," Julio asked thin air as he woke up, pained by the light and what sounded like the heavy breathing of a large animal. A hand suddenly appeared on his shoulder and started to rub small circles into Julio's tired flesh, pulling an unintended moan from him.

"There there, my little Juliet," a deep voice from behind said, "If anything, I should be the one who is sore."

Julio immediately jerked upright as he couldn't remember anyone with a voice like that. Twisting around, Julio immediately found that to be the wrong thing to do as the blond suddenly felt like puking as the room shifted around him and colors bleed into their neighbors.

"Whoa there, Juliet," the voice said and two large hands placed themselves on his much smaller frame, "You need to take it slow or you'll be sick after last night." Julio focused his swimming attention on the other figure near him. Lying in bed with him, 'HOLY BRIMIR'S RED CHEEKS!' was another person of questionable gender.

The person was large, broad shoulders and narrow hips giving the appearance of a body built like a broadsword. The obvious muscles lining its dark skinned arms and chest, six pack included, made it so that if they were standing Julio would only come up to shoulder height with the individual.

The figure was laying on its side on the bed with the blanket falling diagonally across it's body, giving Julio an eyeful of that six pack and shoulders but ending just low enough to also show the beginning of a hairy stand that escaped the soft shorts riding low on the hips. The part that confused Julio to the person's gender was the fact that he could also see small breasts that were just barely distended on its chest and it's hair was below shoulder length.

"Wha?" Julio asked intelligently as brief images of last night… day? Flashed though his mind. A ring, a sack of money, a bar full of men in armor, and a beautiful sheer-pink negligee. Paling, Julio found that same negligee hanging off kilter from his shoulder. There was nothing else on underneath.

"Is something wrong, my darling?" the man-woman asked, sitting upright and looking deep into Julio's eyes, "You're as pale as a sheet." Julio's brain short circuited and he did the last coherent thing it suggested.

He screamed like a little girl and passed out in the arms of his bed partner.

* * *

 **Song is "The sky and the dawn and the sun" by celtic woman so I don't own.**


	50. Chapter 50

**Funding for "I will summon a dragon" comes from**

 **"Not-real corporation: where air and light are sold"**

 **Aperture** **Science Inc.**

 **The letter P, the number Quintilian, and the color of magic.**

 **And not by people who actually exist because I don't make money off of things that I don't own.**

 **Like Skyrim and Familiar of Zero**

 **Thank you.**

* * *

 **Mysterioustgexpert: I liked him the second I saw him in his daedric form but 'normal' voice, it was hilarious in my opinion.**

 **helkil: I don't know. It's a problem I've been grappling with for some time now.**

 **Akshka: Nope, I'll never make more. :P**

 **XSDStitch: It wasn't that long, maybe a night and a day, and another night possibly.**

 **TheENDstyler: I don't plan on having a threesome. I also am sure that Kirche will want one since they're her friends and it would be a unique experience.**

 **Touhou is Life: That asks the question, "Is he not gay already?" Think about it, he claims to want to kiss Siato, to become a familiar he had to kiss another guy, and I can't really think of him truly being attracted to any girls in the anime.**

 **Dark beyond: Unless Julio buries this event as best he can. I doubt he can but thought to throw that idea out.**

 **Blackholelord: Thank you. Most of the time when you think about someone's actions you gain an understanding of them, thinking about Julio makes him seem even more scumbag-ish in my opinion.**

 **the kitty killer: No, Julio is not a girl. NO DURNEHIIR WAS NOT INVOLVED, sorry, the image is _burned_ into my soul. Next we have some boring classes to set up, sorry.**

 **HazardousRecon: That would be an interesting idea for a story unto itself. For now, I'm going to have to say no, She is not aware that sithis is 'the void', I don't think he can influence the FOZ world yet.**

 **RedBurningDragon: Ah. Twenty new comers, it's going to be busy for a bit. Now how will he deal with what he reapped? Julio is a master at wriggling out of problems.**

 **BlitzkriegHOSS: Thank you. It was just some friendly advice, and a funny image of a person trying to deal with a uncomfortable situation, sorry for laughing just a bit at your trouble.**

 **amimai002: Thank you for your opinion about the MPAA, it helped settle my nerves after writing my first smut chapter.**

 **Everwolf: TMI.**

 **dreamer-in-darkness: Thank you for your interest and the pm full of lore. I made Agnes a mage for the same reason Dove did, anger that in hind sight was rather petty, the whole developing of Louise's character and the 'has flaws' appearance of Dove was my way of making something out my pettiness, I'm glad you found meaning in my blunt writing.**

* * *

"There, done," Dove commented as she pushed dirt around the last plant in the row.

After slipping into the forest without her guard, it was rather surprising that she managed to complete the project since Agnes usually was harping on her to have one of her musketeers with her. Considering Dove had spent an hour just gathering supplies, it wouldn't be surprising if she was found soon.

First, she had picked up some large branches from a recently fallen tree and cut the sides off them to make square planks. She quickly dumped these at her cave and then ran off to gather several of the mountain flower plants she had found in a grove. After taking all the flowers she needed and digging up a few of the plants, Dove walked back to her cave and started construction.

The boards were temporary in her mind, she needed to make something permanent out of stone later, but for now they would work as a greenhouse bed for now. Laying the boards out, Dove put two together by the edge and made a rather large box. Fifteen feet long, two and a half feet in width, with four inches high walls.

Digging around her cave for rocky soil, Dove filled the box about a quarter of the way up before adding almost equal amount of water, turning it into a mud puddle. Carefully digging holes into the mud, Dove planted her six flowers, two of each color. Dove carefully threaded the roots through the mud to give the plants the best possible growing conditions. With that done, she filled the box with more dirt and moved the box to where it would get the most amount of sun.

Going back to her small pile of wood, Dove made three small boxes about a foot by a foot with a depth of four inches. Going back to her plant pile, Dove picked up her jazz berries and planted them in their own individual boxes like she had with the long planter box and put them next to the previous box.

Satisfied with her mock greenhouse, Dove mentally noted that she would need to set up a watering schedule, then moved into her side room and pulled out her ingredients. Slicing the flowers, Dove started a much larger pot of potion than any she had ever made before.

When she had basically pureed the plant matter, she put the flowers into the pot for boiling. Moving on to another bowl, Dove decided that she would need a larger mixing bowl for future work if this batch was any guide, and started mashing the berries.

Dove sighed as she felt her magicka being pulled into the potion. It felt rather pleasant, almost like taking a deep breath after exploring the bottom of an underground lake. When the magicka sparks started drifting into the air, Dove knew that the large purple mush was ready. Going over to the boiling flower juices, she sat down and picked up a flat spoon to start pressing down on the mush.

As the water started getting more flower juice, it turned a faint red color. As the once clear liquid turned mostly red, Dove strained the flower bits out and poured the red water into the bowl with the berries. She made sure to slowly pour the fluid as the combined liquids filled the bowl, nearly reached the top.

Dove shook her head as she finished. She needed to get a larger alchemy set if they wanted her to make a full company, or army's, worth of potion.

Carefully ladling out the mixed blue-red potion into a glass bottle, Dove gave the bottle a hard shake to ensure that the mix was thorough before giving it a look. Satisfied that she had enough, Dove moved back to the entrance to her lair and left.

* * *

The crowd of Mages-to-be awkwardly stood around each other as they had no idea what to do now that Dove had left them over half an hour ago. Growing bored, one rubbed her hands together and looked around.

"Should we just go back to our normal duties?" she asked. Most of the women had free training time right now, but some like her had guard duty to get to soon.

Rue looked up from where she was doodling in the dirt with a large twig. "I don't think so," she said after tapping the clean end of her stick on her chin, "Dove said that she would be back soon."

"She said that she would be back in under an hour," another woman pointed out helpfully, "That was about forty minutes ago, so she should be back sometime in the next twenty minutes."

The one who started the short conversation couldn't argue with that logic and let it go. True to the prediction, the Musketeer's saw Dove coming through the archway to the courtyard carrying a large bottle and a stack of cups.

"Sorry for taking so long," Dove called out to the assembly as she got closer, "I had to get cups for everyone."

Most of the musketeers ignored the slightly late arrival, instead focusing on the bottle itself. If it hadn't been for the color, the liquid wouldn't have looked all that unusual to them, yet this was probably going to be the most important drink of their lives.

"How is that supposed to give us magic?" A blond musketeer asked, eying the strangely colored liquid with a mix of excitement and fear.

"Magicka," Dove corrected, handing out cups. "It basically gives you a little bit of power that then grows inside of you until you start producing your own."

"How will our bodies produce magic?" the same blond asked as she shakily got her own cup.

"MagicKA is the power around and within the mage," Dove answered, laying emphasis on the suffix. "Before, your bodies couldn't contain it in a useful manner. Now it will be at your command. It won't be painful going down but it will hurt to use at first, like training a muscle."

The blond nodded nervously as she took her empty cup. Her mother had ingrained in her when she was young that you never to take strange food or drink from people. This was pushing it for her.

"Enough questions," an interested teacher shouted irritably from the sidelines, "Let's see if this really works."

Dove paused and looked over her shoulder at the man. "Excuse me," she drawled in disapproval, "I'm just taking the time to answer some questions about a life changing event to those it will affect. But if you want me to rush it because you don't have anything better to do then I guess I can."

The man paused open mouthed as an angry rebuttal was silenced by a look from professor Colbert. Colbert's look was somehow disapproving and restrained anger with a touch of 'are-you-stupid' all rolled into one. Dove looked at the fire teacher in surprise and a touch of respect. She hadn't known that he could whip out something like that.

"Any way," Dove said, returning attention to the musketeer, "It will be alright." She had thought about using another one of her jokes about squirrels exploding after drinking when she was making the batch, but now that she was here, she could see that a few of the musketeers were already frightened enough.

The blonde nodded again to reassure herself.

Once all the cups had been passed out, Dove moved up to Rue. "Drink this and wait ten minutes," she said, pouring a serving into the cup.

Rue stared at the liquid before her for a long moment before sucking in a breath and chugging the drink like a shot of alcohol. Dove mentally compared this moment to when Lela took her potion. For some reason these musketeers almost always seemed to act the same way.

Satisfied that all the potion was gone, Dove moved on to the next person. Repeating the same procedure, Dove moved slowly through the group. She made sure that all potion was consumed and that none was spilt.

She was a bit anxious of giving her potion so freely and a healthy batch of paranoia about spies and traitors made her watch the potion from the second it left her bottle until it disappeared into the woman's mouth before moving on.

"Hey, miss Dove," Rue called when Dove was almost done, "I'm still not causing things to happen with the elements. Is there something wrong? Do I need to get a wand?"

Dove watched the latest receiver of her potion swallow as she answered, "Give it a few minutes to take effect and wait for me to tell you how to use magicka. It doesn't work without the right mental exercises, you don't need a wand."

"What kind of mental exercises?" Rue asked the question for the teachers.

Dove poured another cup. "I will get to that when everyone has taken the potion," she temporized.

The potion was allowed to settle out in silence after Dove's words. Each person impatiently waiting for her to give the word that she was ready to start teaching. Ten minutes after the last person had drank their serving, Dove started her lesson. She pocketed the empty bottle and stood in front of the assembly.

"Alright, all of you should have let the potion run its course through you," Dove started her instruction.

"Full disclosure," Dove continued, "This part will hurt. It will feel like using a muscle that you haven't used in years. You will feel pain and be sore, and I'm sorry for it." The more nervous musketeers looked a touch frightened by this, but they were musketeers, and more importantly, commoners, they were used to working through pain.

"Now, to start, I want you to imagine a fire building in your chest. The heat in your torso is a fire, raging to empower you," Dove instructed.

Half of the musketeers felt this on their first try. It was suddenly almost natural, like they had just remembered how to do something they were good at years ago. The other half had problems, they only felt a little twitch of something and it didn't feel anything like fire.

"How many can feel the fire?" Dove asked, picking up on the division between the those who did and didn't. As she expected, those who had confused and frustrated looks didn't raise their hands.

"Okay, I want those who have raised their hands to move over there," Dove ordered, pointing to the right, causing a mass shuffling. "Try to move the feeling of fire around within your body," she called after them, "I want you to try and get it to flow to one of your hands."

Those who were left looked at each other in confusion, not liking that they had been singled out. Dove called their attention back to herself with a question and gesture, "What are you feeling? I would like to hear in your own words what you are feeling, if not fire. The one on that end, go."

The musketeer that Dove pointed at straightened a bit and stated, "It feels… like a tingle, or a vibration. I don't know how to properly describe it."

Dove nodded as she took that information in. "Do you all feel the same?" she asked looking down the line.

All but three nodded.

"What do you three feel?" Dove asked, sure that she knew what the answer would be.

"Nothing," one answered. "Just a little cold," another responded with the last nodding along with them.

"Good," Dove said smiling.

"Good?" the quiet one asked, "How can that be good?"

"Basically," Dove answered to the entire group, "there are three elements that novice destruction mages can use; fire, lightning, and frost. I now know what each of you guys are naturally aligned with."

"Lightning isn't an element," someone said from the sidelines.

"It is in the destruction school of magicka," Dove shot back at the out of order teacher, there wasn't time now but Dove marked the man's face in her mind for a physical demonstration later, "I want each of you to learn how to use your novice spell before I start teaching you any of the other schools of magicka."

"What other schools are there?" one of the lightning musketeers asked.

Dove sighed before calling the others over and launching into a little spiel about the schools of magicka.

* * *

Dove rubbed her head as she stared down at the paper in front of her. Three frost mages, seven lightning mages, and ten fire mages.

And every single one of them wanted to learn something else first. They had heard some interesting facts in Dove's edited overview of the powers of magicka and had seized on it, demanding to learn it first.

Teaching officially sucked as a profession.

Thankfully, Dove had managed to get all of them to use their novice abilities to produce, even if only for a second or two, the classic spray with the element they were learning first. However, it had taken her almost two hours to get them to settle down and do so.

Lela had apparently also been showing off her magicka because everyone had wanted to learn things that she had shown them, things that were far beyond them right now. The two most common requests were for her to teach them how to heal and how to summon weapons.

'I suppose I could teach them how to heal next week, or tomorrow even,' Dove mused to herself as she looked around her room. The healing spell was arguably the most important spell they would learn so she should fast track it, but the other was just something they weren't ready for yet.

"If I can teach them… How much time to teach do I have anyways?" Dove mused, realizing that she had no idea how long it would be before her students would be called away to fight the Reconquista.

'What kind of time table do I have to work with?' She wondered before shrugging, 'I guess I'll have to ask Agnes for that.' Getting up, Dove quickly left her room in search of the captain.

* * *

Dove scoured the academy for almost hours before she found Agnes, searching it top to bottom several times but apparently just missing Agnes. In that time, she had managed to find: four musketeers practicing magicka, three maids discussing cute boys, all five of the remaining male staff engaged in face sucking with a female student, and two girls engaged in face sucking with each other.

It felt nice to know that she wasn't the only one attracted to the same gender.

She was baffled by this disappearing act that Agnes had been putting on lately. Before the woman could almost always be found in the company of another musketeer discussing how the company was doing, or haranguing Dove for leaving her guard behind. Now however, they couldn't seem to find her.

A thought then occurred to Dove. She hadn't been on her butt for ditching her guard when she gave them magicka, before the trip to the capital an act like that would have made her sparkle while glaring at Dove. Why was she not there anymore? What could have happened to her to make her apparently forget her duties?

Dove started to get angry. Agnes was nowhere to be found and thinking back she couldn't remember seeing the woman since she had driven the carriage back from their last mission. Commanding officers shouldn't just up and vanish on their subordinates.

"If she was in the Legion, she would be demoted for up and vanishing for so long without reason, at the very least," Dove growled to herself as she marched down the hall towards the headmaster's office. It was the last place she hadn't checked this time around.

Coming to a stop just outside of the door, Dove reached for the handle.

CRASH!

The door almost flew off its hinges as someone inside of the room slammed the door open and Dove got a up close look at its grain structure and varnish.

"Stupid old men and stupid old rules," Agnes growled as she marched out of the office, "I'm a captain of the queen's personal guard! Why do I need to go get her permission to look at some old files when I know she would let me!" Turning to the left, Agnes started marching down the hall.

"Ow," Dove said as the door peeled itself from her face behind the angry woman. Dove reached up and gently poked at her tender nose as she glanced down the hall at Agnes. Nothing felt broken.

"Hey, Agnes wait up," Dove called down the hall after a moment remembering what she had been wanting to ask the captain before her hard encounter.

Agnes paused when she heard someone call her name behind her and turned to look. "Ah, miss Bosquet," Agnes said by way of greeting, "I have a list of people from my group that want to volunteer for drinking your potion. When would you be ready to receive them?"

Dove blinked, a frown of confusion appearing on her face. "Agnes, you already had the list given to me," she reminded her companion, noting the other woman's forgetfulness, "What I'm here to ask you is about training schedules. I don't know when my 'students' will be shipped off to the front lines and I want to get the maximum amount of training out of them before that. Can you help me?"

"Oh, ah, yes," Agnes said, hoping to cover up her lapse of memory. "We are going to be moving to the front line when the Queen goes to Albion. It is estimated that we will be leaving in about three weeks to a month."

Dove gained a pensive look as she tried to guess how long it would take her to train the group, and file away the fact that Agnes seemed to be lost in her own little quest.

"I could easily have them throwing bolts of their elements by then," Dove muttered, "and healing, maybe even healing hands, but what about conjuration?"

"What's that?" Agnes asked as she tried to follow the maid's train of thought.

"The girls want me to teach them certain spells," Dove answered, "but I'm worried about how long it would take for me to train all of them in the spells they want to know."

Agnes started walked again. Walking helped her think past her frustration with the headmaster since it made her feel like she was getting something done while she contemplated this. "I can assign them extra training to learn those spells," she thought out loud.

As she walked, Agnes examined the facts. "Do you have free time during the day to take extra classes?" Agnes asked as a thought came to her.

"I cook meals, train and meditate before bed," Dove said, outlining what a basic day was for her as she followed the musketeer. "I have little time for other things," Dove added, thinking about her new greenhouse.

"Then I'm pulling you from cooking the meals effective immediately," Agnes ordered, "That should give you time to train my musketeers before meal time. Can you get them all trained in the spells they want in time with that?"

Dove felt a little piece of her soul break off and die at the idea of not cooking but had to answer, "Yes. I can train them in the basic spells they need and make them familiar with spells they want to learn with a schedule like that."

A little flash of irritation at apparently having to give it up made her add, "The problem is that they need time to grow their magicka reserves and control. I would like to add a requirement for them to perform a basic 'spray' spell for as long as they can and repeat it for one hour before bed."

Agnes nodded, it made sense that those two bits would be the biggest issues with her musketeers right now. However, she wasn't ready for Dove's other two requirements.

"I also want to still help out with breakfast," Dove said sharply, going for a day without baking was hard for her, "and I want to see you at my lessons," Dove turned her tone into an order as she continued, "Tt would be good for you to learn some spells since you already have a much larger supply of magicka then they do."

"But I don't need to learn," Agnes argued. She hated having magicka, it felt wrong and it made her skin crawl when she remembered that magic had done to her home village.

"Everyone needs to do what they can," Dove commented easily before giving Agnes a hard look, "And I don't need to teach you guys anything, remember that I'm not from Tristian so any help I give is out of the goodness of my heart. I want you there."

Agnes gaped, both shocked and angry at the Baroness's words. "Are you threatening to not teach my soldiers if I don't show up?" Agnes asked darkly.

"Maybe," Dove said flippantly, "I love cooking a lot and hate that you ordered me to drop it, so I'm ordering you to come to class, if you want them to learn then you will be there. Besides, it will make things run more smoothly if you're there to keep order."

"You can't just blackmail me like this," Agnes snapped, coming to a stop to look Dove in the face. She was unsure of where this anger came from, but Dove's words were getting on her very short nerves.

"Oh yes I can," Dove said confidently, continuing to stride forwards, "Just show up and learn how to heal people, if you want to learn more after that then it's up to you."

"Healing people?" Agnes asked as she reluctantly started moving again. That would be a useful skill, even if it required magicka.

"Yes, I'm going to teach them how to use magicka to heal themselves and others," Dove said sharply before pulling her own temper back.

"Look," she stated, "I'm sorry for being so mean, but I'm angry that it took me so long to find you when you should be the easiest musketeer to find in the building and hated the fact that you want me to give up something I love on top of it. However, I am right in the fact that Tristian needs all the magical people it can get and the fact that you've had magicka longer than anyone else, AND that it would be easier for me if you are there. Please?"

Agnes noticed out of the corner of her eye that Dove looked a little tired. "Were my soldiers really so hard to train?" She didn't realize that she had spoken out loud.

Dove shrugged, "It was more like they were excited and had a hard time sitting down and focusing. It might have actually been a minor side effect of the potion now that I think of it, but it would be easier if someone they already respect is there."

"I guess I can allow that," Agnes begrudgingly admitted before asking, "They don't respect you?"

"Not as much as they respect you," Dove said, "Lela apparently had nothing but nice things to say about me, but the proof is in the pudding and I haven't had the time to gain their respect. As I'm sure your aware, time is one thing we don't have a lot of right now."

"Fine, I'll be there," Agnes verbally acquiesced to the maid.

"Great, thank you," Dove said gratefully.

* * *

Nothing left. Nothing right.

Julio forsook the doorway he was hiding in and sprinted down the hallway. After his embarrassing faint last night, he had woken up alone in what looked like a hospital room and immediately knew had to get out before anyone came back for him.

The problem was that he was still in the negligee he had woken up in and it simply wasn't made for stealth. Hopefully he would find some real clothes before anyone found him. The hall was decorated by wooden panel walls with recessed doors and was lit by small windows and lamps.

The doors were all locked and Julio was sure he heard a snore through one of them when he tried the handle, he decided not to risk it.

Down the hall was a stairway that went down about five feet before turning back on itself and vanishing into a new set of stairs. Julio paused to listen at the top of the stairs to make sure there was no one below.

"So how is Juliet?" A deep voice came from below.

"I think he's a little tired from last night so I put him in the healing room," the deep-but-not-male voice from last night answered. He probably hadn't been out long if they were still talking about him.

"What are the odds of such a pretty guy just showing up for you captain?" the deep voice continued in a teasing tone of voice, "I mean, seriously, you were bemoaning the lack of guys that wanted to go out with you only ten minutes before that one walked in dressed ready to go and kissed you."

Julio blushed, unknowingly increasing his 'cute' factor.

"You still say that you didn't put him up to it?" the woman, thankfully now with a gender to give her, asked. Her voice was hopeful but had a note of hesitation in it, like she was used to being disappointed like this.

"NO! No," the man quickly assured her, "I was just as shocked to find him cuddling into your breast plate as everyone else in the company wasn't there."

"Okay, I believe you," the woman reassured her companion.

Julio tapped his finger on his chin as he tried to figure out what to do next. Obviously getting out of here was the first step. It didn't matter that that woman apparently thought of him as some kind of boyfriend. He was a falmen of the church and the familiar of the pope, he had a mission to complete so he would just have to disregard her feelings.

"Hey, aren't you the captain's boy toy?"

Julio jumped and twisted around as he tried to get a look at the voice that had snuck up on him. He felt like gulping when he saw the towering man behind him, maybe six and a half feet tall with a thick beard and sleep blurred blue eyes, and looking down at Julio like a hawk that has a mouse in its sights.

Belatedly Julio remembered to cover his dignity, although it was confusing to him when one hand went up to cover his chest as if to hide it.

* * *

 **FIFTY CHAPTERS!**

 **Wow, I feel great about this mile stone.**

 **I really don't know what to say now.**


	51. Chapter 51

**Great scott!**

 **A story that can still make references and jokes in the opening title.**

 **I feel like I'm starting to run out of opening jokes.**

 **Maybe I should have quotes instead?**

 **Familiar of Zero is owned by someone else and Skyrim is owned by a company.**

* * *

 **The One True Slacker: There will be more Tabby/Dove soon, Thieves.**

 **deathbykitsune: I know it looks like filler but I don't think it is, it's a step forwards in bringing Magicka into FOZ, there will be more action and direct changes soon.**

 **helkil: Only in your imagination. I haven't read that will look into. The specifics of dragon-soul-elf birth aren't exactly written down somewhere so I'm still figuring that out any input is helpful.**

 **dreamer-in-darkness: At first frenemies, Agnes is starting down a dark path. Julio didn't end up with a Dremora, just a** **masculine** **woman.**

 **Telron: Maybe. :)**

 **alexc123: Thank you.**

 **XSDStitch: At least six feet if not more. It might be a good idea to call in some reinforcements... I'll have to think about it. :) Totally calling in a orcmer friend if I do, hehe.**

 **Guest: ...You take pride in hurting my soul. Now I'm sad :(. You never know, I might need to write about how Dove will explode if she went a month of cooking just to spite you. :P**

 **Touhou is Life: I don't get that reference.**

 **the kitty killer: Then from this point forwards... I hate you. :P.**

 **TheENDstyler: If I remember correctly the war was several months, about eight I think, so if she gets pregnant in the near future then it would be almost impossible to miss during the war.**

 **RedBurningDragon: Welcome to kick-arsery 101. He will be missed. you're right, I meant to put a "it" in there, oops.**

 **MasterXMaster: You're welcome.**

 **Blackholelord: I think that on some level everyone is a little like Naruto when they learn something new.**

 **dreamer-in-darkness: It was mostly to poke fun at Louise but I'm glad it fits with lore.**

 **Me Myself and I: This entire review is full of awesome ideas that I need to think about for a moment. Some might show up in later chapters.**

* * *

Dove hummed to herself as she looked through her work notes. The academy had recognized her as a teacher and as such had given her an actual classroom to work in. The room was in the Earth Tower and had a unique layout since a lot of her lessons were physical in nature. Instead of a lecture hall with all the students facing the teacher, the room was almost empty save for Dove's desk at the front. The scorch marks on the floor in the open space showed that the space had been put to good use already.

* * *

"Today we are going to talk about the difference between Skyrim magicka and Halkegkian magic," Dove said with a smile. Before her were her musketeer students in four lines of five. Dove paced down the length of the room as she kept speaking. "Magic is based in will power. If you have the willpower then you can cast. Spells that have more elements in them require more willpower and if you run out and you need to take a sudden nap to recover," Dove snorted, "Magicka, on the other hand, takes magicka from your core, like channeling water from a reservoir in your body. The more powerful the spell, the more it will take."

A student interrupted, "Isn't that basically the same thing? You said it requires more magic to perform larger spells for both types."

Dove shook her head. "It really isn't the same," she lectured, "Think of it like this: you wake up every morning with ten glasses of water and every time you use magic you drink a glass. If you perform a 'line' spell with two elements, you drink two glasses. You go to bed and you get another ten glasses and keep those that you didn't use yesterday."

Dove faced the student who had asked the question. "That is magic, the power of Tristian nobles. Magicka is more like a spring, constantly filling up a small pond," Dove put a hand on her hip and leaned to one side, "The biggest difference between the two powers is what they take to be more powerful."

"Magicka is affected by time. Those of you who have done the required practice of casting the 'spray' spell for an hour before bed can testify to this. If a noble used magic to cast a similar spell, they would chant, feed the spell willpower, and then have a flame thrower until they cancel the spell. With magicka, we must give a constant effort to use magicka but can be back in action, even if we run ourselves into the ground, in under five minutes." The students let that sink in, even Agnes was interested in the difference between the two powers.

"What advantage does this give us over the mages of this land?" Dove asked.

Rue jumped up, "We can cast magic even when they have passed out from overuse if we can make them use spells repeatedly."

"Right in approach but you made a mistake," Dove congratulated her student.

"What mistake?" Rue asked tilting her head a bit to the right as she tried to think of what she had said wrong.

"We do not use magic," Dove stated seriously. She looked down the line to make sure she had every single person's attention before continuing. "Tristian uses magic. Albion uses magic, Gallia, Germania, Romalla, they all use magic that they say comes from Brimir. We, use, magicKA!"

"There is a vast fundamental difference between magic and magicka that could take days to properly explain to explain to you, but seeing as we're pressed for time to teach the basics, I'll leave out for now. Suffice to say that magic and magicka are similar in appearance and use but are as different from each other as scrolls are from books."

The door to her classroom opened just as Dove finished showing her distaste for the word magic and the teacher who had annoyed Dove yesterday leaned into the room. "Hello, I was asked to come to your class for some reason," the teacher said pleadingly, hoping to have his confusion as to why he was there cleared up.

"Ah, good you're here," Dove smiled, "Be a dear and close the door behind you." The teacher was a little nervous at the words combined with that kind of smile but did as he was asked anyways.

"Now students, we're going to have a practical demonstration of the difference between magic and magicka," Dove said lifting a hand so that her palm was facing towards the teacher.

The poor man had been eagerly looking forwards to seeing what Dove could do with magicka. He got more than he was bargaining for when the first bolt of lightning flashed over his head. The first thing Dove did as the professor tried to dodge her lightning was to move quickly to block the door and follow up her attack by sending a wave of ice at him and then chasing him down to punch at his face.

The Professor managed to hold his own for almost fifteen minutes before he simply ran out of steam and Dove let up on him. The lesson was driven home when Dove looked down at his collapsed body and casually dismissed her handful of flames by blasting the fire ball out to her side.

"I'm still ready to fight," she stated, "By switching between physical attacks and magicka I can have an almost unlimited supply of power to fight with since magicka doesn't take physical strength and strength doesn't take magicka, unlike magic."

Magicka class for the musketeers went smoothly after that. Agnes had been a surprising help by asking a lot of clarifying questions that helped the group understand how magicka worked in comparison to magic.

For some reason, most of the teachers that had been there when Dove have given her students magicka hadn't show up in her classroom after Dove had taken her practical example to nurse Joy. Those that had come back Dove mentally labeled: 'the brave'.

Colbert was unsurprisingly among that that had come back whenever Dove was teaching healing but hadn't showed up for the more violent lessons, so maybe he was in the 'half-brave' group. After classes, he would approach Dove and had ask a bunch of questions about her magicka.

Dove had warily answered all she could without holding anything back. She had told him about the different schools, her specialty being destruction, restoration, and enchanting. Colbert had been interested to learn about the school of conjuration. Despite the fact that Dove only told him about the weapons, he was interested in the idea that it literally brought an object from another place and had asked more about that branch of magicka more than the others.

The topic was very sensitive in Dove's opinion since it was a gateway into the other realms and that brought up the Daedra, something that would 'interest' the church. Dove eventually managed to get him to believe that she had no idea where the weapons came from, that it hadn't been explained to her because she wasn't really all that good with that school of magicka.

Dove preferred to carry physical weapons, and occasionally summon aid in the form of a wraithman, boneman, or mystman, so her apparent lack of knowledge about the school was for the most part correct.

Agnes, Dove reflected four days after she had started showing up to class, had a surprising talent for restoration. She had managed to use the healing spell perfectly the first time she tried, prompting Dove to teach her the 'fast healing' spell to see how long it would take her to learn that. Dove sighed as her thoughts about Agnes brought back the fact that she was no longer a cook but a full-time teacher.

* * *

Both Dove and Agnes had gone to the head chef to tell him about her new time table. Dove hated the look on Martone's face when Agnes (Because Dove refused to be the one to break his heart) had told him about her new job and how much time it would of her day.

"But I thought you said that you loved cooking more than magic," Martone asked with a borderline painful expression on his face as he faced the two.

"It's not that I like magicka more," Dove explained, "It's that I have some people to teach that will go off to Albion soon. I need to give them my time right now. I will still be able to help out with breakfast, I just won't be able to make lunch and dinner." She then added in a pained tone, "Or desserts, and you know how much I like desserts."

"But your desserts are the best." He didn't whine like a child, but he wasn't too far off. The defeated look, head down, and shoulders slack didn't help his appearance.

Dove reached out and patted him on the shoulder. "I be back and baking with you as soon as I can," Dove assured him with a smile, "You'll hardly even notice that I'm gone."

Martone sighed before he slowly nodded. "I guess they need you for this war," he said bitterly before barking out an order, "But I expect you to be back the second this war ends, do you hear me?"

"YES, SIR!" Dove snapped back smartly while throwing a salute and standing straight as a rod.

Martone nodded and looked back down at the chicken he was starting to soak. "Well, I guess you need to go get going. See you tomorrow morning."

Dove nodded. "See you then," she said a touch awkwardly before quietly leaving. For some reason this felt almost permanent, like Dove when she left home for the first time or like she was leaving her home for an important but dangerous job and might never come back.

Martone resolutely watched the two women leave his kitchen before sighing and returning to his marinade.

* * *

Now Dove was sitting in her empty classroom looking over some of her rudimentary paperwork on the students. She was loosely following the example she had learned from Tolfdir, minus the ruin full of walking dead and floating spheres. Wards were the first thing she taught after they got the basic 'spray' down, followed by healing.

With her musketeer students doing so well, Dove turned her thoughts to her other students. Louise and Kirche were developing slower but they had massive reserves of Magicka in comparison to the others. The only thing holding them back now was Dove herself. What she needed to do with them was teach them some more advanced spells, they were ready for runes, cloaks, and other such costly spells.

Tabitha was ready for a new trio of words and had been requesting the Disarm shout. She was ready to start learning that shout since she had gotten Unrelenting Force, Fire Breath, and Whirlwind Sprint down. Dove was so proud that she wanted to kiss Tabitha for her accomplishments.

But then, she wanted to do that anyways so that wasn't saying much.

Finally, Dove had Siesta. She had honestly gotten pushed just a bit to the side with the massive influx of students under Dove's belt. It wasn't deliberate and Siesta was admittedly a little happy to have her lessons pushed back a bit.

She was, beyond any shadow of a doubt, ready to fly her great grandfather's airship. The issue was that she was nervous, extremely nervous, about flying. Dove could understand that, it was terrifying to be in the air for the first time. Dove laughed a bit as she remembered her white knuckled grip on Odahviing's horns for the first half an hour of flying back in Skyrim.

Dove was sure that all she needed to do was get her in the air and then everything would sort itself out.

So, now that she was sure where all her students stood in their progress, she needed to plan what to do next.

Some of the faster learners in the Musketeer group needed to practice the healing hands on live subjects. Maybe she could have them shoot an animal and heal it. There was going to be pork for dinner next week so there were some pigs that had arrived for slaughter.

Agnes needed to practice fast healing, or something like it. Dove felt a bit of apprehension about how she might have to go about teaching that particular spell, but no one was going to hold their hands on the battlefield so Dove wouldn't either. She would let her know a bit beforehand, no need for Agnes to dwell on the lesson before she got hurt.

Kirche and Louise were neck in neck for runes and cloaks so that would be the next lesson.

Tabby would learn to meditate on Disarm and cuddle.

And Siesta was going to get a surprise flight today.

Plans formed, Dove writ a short note on the progress of her students and stood up from the desk to leave.

* * *

Siesta hummed as she finished dusting a hallway in the earth tower. Life was good for the academy of magic servant. She had a roof over her head, warm food when she finished work, and earned a bit of money that she sent back to her family to support them.

So, life was going very well for Siesta. As she put her hands on her hips, still clutching her dusting rag as she looked up and down the hall a voice her broke her out of her thoughts.

"Hello~ there~ Siesta~," a feminine voice sung from just behind her. The black-haired maid jumped a bit as the voice surprised her before she turned around and gave the speaker a light smile.

"Dove," she greeted, "What can I do for you today?" She had missed Dove from the kitchen, even if it had only been a day or so since she had been there.

"I was hoping you'd ask that," Dove commented with a smile, and a predatory gleam in her eye.

Siesta almost subconsciously leaned back from her friend and teacher.

"Why did you want me to ask that?" she asked, for some reason feeling that she was going to regret this.

"Oh, no particular reason," Dove lied, waving her hands comfortingly. "I was just wondering if you had time this day to help me for about an hour or so," Dove assured her.

"I should have time," Siesta thought out loud, "I'm done in here and was about to take a break. What do you need?"

"I want to give your grandfather's air ship a look over," Dove said leadingly, "I thought of something just now and want you to be there when I check."

"You already have my permission to look inside of my family's ship and know it better than I do," Siesta whined. She really wanted that break she should be on right now.

"It won't take long," Dove reassured Siesta adding wide eyes and a little pout, "Please come with me?"

Siesta sighed. "Fine," She relented, "I'll come with you."

"Great," Dove said before giving her fellow a light tug, "Come on."

-[]-

Dove led the way out of the academy and over to the shed by Professor Colbert's separate work room where the airship was stored.

'First, we need to get it out of the court yard,' Dove started a mental checklist, 'Then Operation Out of the Nest can start.'

"Can you please go get an earth mage?" Dove asked Siesta, "We need to get it back outside of the walls." The maid nodded before hurrying off. Dove watched her go until she rounded the bend and was lost to sight before opening the doors to the large shed and cracking her knuckles.

"I'm a genius," Dove muttered before she settled down to wait for Siesta.

Her student came back after a few minutes with another girl who helped them raise the ground into a ramp and get the ship over the wall.

"Thank you," Dove called back over the wall to the earth mage as the airship touched down outside of the wall. She received a wave in reply and then the girl sank back out of sight as she returned the dirt to its natural state.

Dove shook herself. "So," Dove said, turning to Siesta, "I'm going to take the ship into the air, that's why I brought it out here. There wasn't enough room to take off in the academy. I want you to watch what I do to because I think there's something that needs to be checked and I can't do it and fly at the same time."

Siesta blinked before she nervously bit at her fingers. "Do you think I can?" she asked, "I've only tried to 'fly' on the ground before. What if-"

Dove cut her off, "You can 'what if' forever. I need to check this simple system but I can't do it while I'm flying and I can't do it on the ground. If flying makes you uncomfortable then I can take us up there and then pass it over to you, get it over with quickly, okay?"

Siesta frowned behind her fingers, if Dove took them up then she was sure that she could just hold it steady for a bit. "I think I can do that," she finally said with a rather good attempt at sounding brave.

Dove grinned, "Great. Let's get this in the air."

Siesta nodded and strode over to the plane, crawled up into the back seat, and waited for Dove to join her. Dove shook her head in amusement at the girls bold but stiff movements. She was kind of cute and funny when she was acting like nothing could bother her. Following her lead, Dove jumped up into the airship and slid the glass over them.

The airship slowly started rolling forwards before picking up enough speed and getting a breeze under its wings for taking off. Siesta might have needed to hug Dove's back for this part but she should get over that soon.

Soon they reached a good cruising height. Looking back at her companion, Dove smiled. Siesta was peeking out the side of the cockpit at the world below, her face growing less afraid and more excited by the second.

"We've reached cruising height; can you please take the reins?" she asked.

Siesta looked forwards and nodded before shifted to the side of her seat as Dove scooted back around her. Quickly jumping forwards, the black-haired maid took the stick from Dove and settled into the driver's chair.

"I'm going to be checking things in the back," Dove said looking back at the new flyer, "Every now and then I'll ask you to move the airship a certain way. When I do, please do it quickly so that I can see how it responds."

"Okay," Siesta called back without taking her eyes off the air in front of her.

Dove shifted around in the back seat of the airship until she was watching Siesta out of the corner of her eye. The black-haired girl was holding the airship controls tightly, her force of her heartbeat pushing blood through her tight muscles was causing the joystick in front of her to tremble slightly and in turn causing the ship to tremble in the air.

"Relax," Dove ordered, "you're far too tense. Breathe deeply and let the ship fly itself."

Siesta nodded and forced herself to breath. As she started to calm, the ship flew much smoother. Dove nodded to herself as Siesta got it under control, now all she needed to do was pretend to fix something and have Siesta fly various ways to get her accustomed to it.

Ten minutes later Dove called out to Siesta, "I think I have it. Can you fly down please?"

Siesta nodded, mostly to herself, and angled the airship down. Dove stopped pretending to be looking at something in the back, watched her student to the exclusion of everything else, giving Siesta her full attention.

The airship dipped down readily enough at her commands, Siesta was a little shocked by how easy it was to fly. She managed to correct herself before her descent became a nose dive and leveled out again.

"You're doing a good job," Dove commented.

"Thank you," Siesta said back, "Are you going to be checking things out for a long time? I have got to go back to the kitchens in about half an hour."

"Don't worry," Dove assured her, "We'll be back in plenty of time. Can you take us up?"

Siesta nodded and pulled back on the control, lifting the front of the airship and causing them to gain altitude. Dove had her fellow maid perform a lot of maneuvers while she was flying. Go right, go left, and even go upside down for a sharp turn around before leveling out were some, but there was also a few that would only be needed in combat, such as an aileron roll.

Throughout the exercises, Siesta became more at ease. By the time Dove had her do a barrel roll she was actually enjoying herself.

"Good, now for the easy part," Dove mislead her student, "I need you to slowly wind down, lose altitude until you're flying at about fifty feet off the ground heading towards the academy."

Siesta did as she was told. As the ground began to get close Siesta started to be nervous again.

"Is this low enough?" She asked in a frightened voice when she reached sixty feet.

The field in front of them was large, over a half a mile in radius around the academy granting the flyers a nice view of the towers as they got closer to it.

"Just a little lower," Dove said, watching closely.

Siesta took a deep breath and angled down again, they were at forty feet. "How about now?" she asked.

"Down about thirty more feet," Dove ordered, "and flick the switch to your right."

Siesta first flicked the switch and came closer to the earth. The academy was growing much larger in front of them.

"A little more, push all the way down and then extend all flaps," Dove commanded.

Belatedly Siesta realized that she was landing the aircraft. Dove had had her so distracted with following her orders that she hadn't realized how close she had gotten to the land. For a moment, Siesta panicked. It was irrational, she had been flying very well for the last thirty minutes but now that she was landing she felt like panicking.

Then Siesta felt a hand press down on her shoulder causing her to jump a little. As the pressure increased it seemed to anchor her to this moment, "Calm down," Dove's voice spoke from just behind her, "breath and lower us, extend all flaps, you already have the landing gear out."

Siesta sucked in a breath and nodded before pushing the control forwards and bringing the airship down to the earth.

"Turn off the airship and let it coast the rest of the way now," Dove said, giving Siesta's shoulder a tight squeeze. The sound of the airship's engines dimmed and finally stopped. As they came to a stop, Siesta turned in her seat to look at Dove. Dove was smiling down on Siesta, her pride obvious.

"You did a good job," was all she said, but it lit up Siesta's heart like a firework.

* * *

Dove made her way down the hall, completely lost in her mind. Today was great, her student was now bouncing out of her mind with excitement to get back into her airship, she had no other classes to do today, and the sun was shining so she was planning on spending it just relaxing.

"Dove, can we have your help?"

Spoke too soon.

Dove mentally groaned and turned to find both Agnes and Julio standing in the hall behind her.

"What do you need?" Dove asked with obvious irritation.

"Sorry," Julio tried to smooth her ruffled feathers, "Is this a bad time?"

Dove groaned out loud this time, "No, I was just thinking about how great it is that I finally got a break. So, spit it out, what do you want me from me?"

"I need your help," Agnes said quickly, "I need to get into a secret document vault hidden under the academy. For some reason the headmaster has been doing all he can to keep me out of it."

Dove frowned, "I haven't heard of or seen any indication of a secret vault under the academy, and I've looked."

Agnes raised an eyebrow at that.

"I got bored," Dove explained with a shrug, completely ignoring that her actions might have been illegal, "Besides, if something is buried for a reason then shouldn't it be left alone?" Dove struggled to keep a straight face as the irony and hypocrisy threatened to crush her for her last statement.

"Anyway," Agnes continued after looking at Dove oddly, "I shouldn't need permission to go down there, but he made me wait until the Queen herself sent a note saying that I can go it. This morning I got the letter saying that I can go in but he claimed to have never received the order to let me in."

"So, the old man is keeping secrets," Dove mused, then a grin threatened to split her face, "I'm in."

Julio blinked, he had been expecting Dove to try and talk them out of it or demand a favor or coin for her help. "Just like that?" he asked in surprise.

"Yup, I'm bored," Dove answered, "Let's go."

Dove started marching off down the hall and managing to get over half way down it before her two companions caught up to her.

"Thank you," Agnes said sincerely to her teacher.

"You're welcome," Dove said back as she walked. "By the way," Dove commented sniffing the air, "Does anyone else smell jasmine?"

Julio winced.

* * *

 **Moving on to the tunnels!**

 **What might we find down there?**


	52. Chapter 52

**The tunnel was dark when you arived.**

 **After months of trying you have successfully entered the strange mind of Snipern0sniping.**

 **Looking around you only shows a dark stone walkway with a faint light at the end of one path you can take.**

 **The light gets brighter as you approach.**

 **Suddenly you are thrust into a room coated in teddy bears and zombie body parts.**

 **A voice booms from all around you;**

 **"Welcome to my story"**

 **"I don't own anything"**

* * *

 **XSDStitch: Ya, It was fun to write the flying part but at the same time, I also got a PM or two about how to properly train a pilot. Or Dunmer, basically someone who would tick the nobility of the most.**

 **Akshka: Agreed, but there was often a good reason for going into those ruins.**

 **GUy passing by: I don't think we'll find a Balrog down there, but I feel the need to add something so maybe something just as powerful?**

 **the kitty killer: Nah, I don't let hate flow though me, I bottle it up until the bottle breaks and I crush a person in wrestling. Note to self: add traps.**

 **TheENDstyler: What I remember, don't quote me on this, is that after they win the war and Saito makes it back there was a "moment of silence for those lost in these last eight months." But I could be mistaken. I have a plan to kill 70,000 that's very simple but kind of scary, so be on the look out.**

 **RedBurningDragon: Cuddles are on the horizon.**

 **MasterXMaster: In the anime the archives aren't where Colbert's secrete is revealed, it's also during the terrorist attack but it gives some good hints that Colbert was the one who led the attack, and now they're an excuse to have some action.**

 **Rook115: I felt that the vault needed a bit of build up. Thanks for the complement.**

 **Touhou is Life: No, there is no sex dungeon under the academy... Maybe they build one? :P**

 **alexc123: golden golems and powerful spells. I was very disappointed when in the anime all they had to do to get in was use one spell and then don't use any more magic.**

 **The One True Slacker: A bored Dove in a palace, no idea why but I couldn't help but think that when I red your review. True, but Tabitha didn't know that.**

 **perfectshade: I tried to equate my experience in the kitchen to Doves** **experience. I suddenly want to add more aedra and daedra to the story, just suddenly POP "We're here for a party whether you mortals like it or not," No idea why. I didn't forget Murphy's law I was more tired of reading about it happening in FF, counting my own, I can only think of two or three stories where someone doesn't get preg on the first try.**

 **Me Myself and I: Those are some really good ideas. A black book would actually make sense since it is a document vault. :)**

 **UnitedDestinies: I know about how to start the destroy the dark brotherhood quest. The thing is that I'm not quite sure which options Dove has taken. She isn't like my play through of Skyrim and I just haven't decided what she has or hasn't done outside of the main quests.**

* * *

Dove and Julio stood together in a rather plain room that the Musketeer captain had taken over as her office. The two were facing Agnes, who sat behind a desk.

"So," Dove started off with a bouncy tone and a little clap, "A secret vault under the academy. Spill, what do you want from it?" Agnes frowned at something only she could see, dark memories flaring before her mind's eye.

"I was born and raised in a little town called Dungletale," she started, looking uncomfortable, but now that she had started she felt like she had to finish. "Years ago, the town was destroyed by fire mages from the army. There's a lot of different rumors on why they did this. That there was a plague, the people were going to rebel, all sorts of things."

Agnes' frown grew more pronounced, border line vicious, "The truth was that Lishman, the recently deceased minister of finance, ordered everyone I cared about burned to death for his own gain."

That put a damper on Dove's hype.

"I survived because someone carried me out of the village and left me in the next town over," Agnes finished the worst part of her backstory, "From there I pushed myself to be a better swords woman so that I could make sure those responsible paid for what happened to my home."

"You killed Lishman during the play," Dove realized, "He tried to run and you took the excuse to kill him in the sewage tunnel." She glared a bit at the seemingly selfish actions of the captain.

"Not entirely," Agnes quickly explained, her expression affronted, "I did kill him down there, but it wasn't because I wanted to, that was just a bonus. I killed Lishman because I couldn't take him down without killing him, he surprised me with revealing the location of this vault containing the names of all those responsible for carrying out his orders and attacked me first."

"So, we're here based on the word of a traitor who was trying to save his life by throwing the intel at your feet as a distraction and you have no way to follow up his word without going into the vault itself," Dove summed up.

She didn't like it, "What if he lied?"

She reasoned, "There usually is a good reason why a respected person like Osmond would try to keep people out of certain areas. It may just be a dead-end, a literal one with the right kind of traps."

"I was told that there is some kind of protection on the vault," Agnes admitted, "He could just be worried that we'll get hurt." Just like Dove, Agnes didn't like it. Unlike Dove, though, what she didn't like was how close she was to her answers. Dove could be entirely right about this being a waste and Osmond's reasoning behind keeping her out of that room. Then a memory of fear and heat flashed behind her eyes, blinding the captain for a moment and she had to angrily shake the memories away.

"Either way," Agnes said resolutely, "I need to see it for myself. I'm going to go to the vault and I'm going to find out who it was who turned my home to ashes."

"I see," Dove said, truly understanding Agnes' desire, "How are we going to get into this vault?"

"The entrance is hidden, and beyond that there is another door that has magical locks on it," Agnes summarized. "We would need at least a triangle class mage to open it. Beyond that, all I know is that there are golden golems and dangerous spells defending it. Much of the original schematics and documentation about what actually is defending the old vault has been forgotten throughout the years."

"So, we don't know what we're getting ourselves into, but we do know that we need at least a triangle mage to get us in," Dove summed up again, "This is sounding better all the time." Dove paused for a second before asking, "Why come to me? It feels great to be appreciated, but you have literally an entire company of warriors who would be willing to follow you. So why come to me?"

Agnes looked at Dove as she organized her thoughts. "Variety," Agnes decided to start explaining, "Your magicka is different from magic and I was thinking that that fact alone will be a great help whenever we encounter the protection spell previously mentioned."

Julio remained silent since he had his own reason for suggesting they bring Dove along.

"So, you want me to be there as magicka protection," Dove mused out loud as she worked the thought over in her mind, "Fair enough. First though, how are we going to get through the first protection? I'm not exactly a 'triangle class' mage." Her magicka was more combat oriented.

"What about Louise?" Julio asked, giving his opinion, "She does have void magic on top of your magicka and that could open the door."

Dove shook her head. "And the wall around it in the same blast," she said sarcastically. "We need a much more delicate way in."

'Would I be able to pick the locks?' Dove wondered for a moment before dismissing the idea since she didn't have her lock picks. She probably needed to make some soon if this was how her days were going to go down.

"What we need is someone with more experience," Agnes said, "What about her sisters? Both are triangle class mages."

Dove hummed as she considered that. "Cattleya is unhealthy and she would get worse underground, it can be rather dirty and stale down there. It might work if we only have her open the door," Dove mused out loud, "and Eleanor… could physically come with us." The less she said about that blond hagraven the better.

"Then we should ask Eleanor to help us," Julio suggested, not noticing the darkening expression on the Baroness, "She could be helpful after we get passed the door since we don't know just what we're getting ourselves into."

"She might know more about what we're dealing with and how to work around it," Agnes put in, causing Dove to develop a tick. The priest and musketeer looked at the baroness, silently asking for her input.

"We could ask her," Dove finally admitted, feeling like each word was burning her tongue.

* * *

"Let me see if I've got this correct," Eleanor spoke succinctly as she worked in her own magic laboratory. She had been writing down her latest experiment involving a dark brown liquid and small white stones that caused rapid release of gas when the three in front of her had come in and told their bizarre story.

"You need me to open a door for you so that you can disobey the headmaster and go where you were told not to," Eleanor summed their story up effectively, hoping to get the Baroness out of her room as soon as possible.

If that was all there was then there was no way she would help them.

"Wrong," said Baroness stated before throwing her arms up and giving the blond a condescending look, "Were you even listening? The headmaster never actually said that we can't go in there, just that he wouldn't open the door for us. Are your ears as well as you gut filling with fat?"

Agnes and Julio looked askance at their companion while Eleanor glared at the defiant woman.

"I don't know why you might think that my ears or figure are fat," she said, not realizing that they both had dropped the vault topic, "But I'll have you know that I most certainly weigh less than you do."

"Are they really picking a fight here and now?" Julio asked Agnes for confirmation that his eyes and ears still worked.

"Looks that way," Agnes answered with a scowl at the wasted time.

"I don't think that your ears are fat," Dove said calmly, "It's just a fact that you are. I have nothing against fat people, just the fact that people like you would slow us down where we're going."

"So now I'm so slow and fat," Eleanor growled as she tried to clamp down on her temper. It wasn't working as the tick marks and smell of brimstone indicated the level of hell she was about to unleash on lesser noble.

"Again," Dove stated, "It's just a fact."

Agnes and Julio were witness to a terrifying sight as Eleanor roared and spat fire as she screamed almost incoherent obscenities at Dove, who took it without any noticeable effect save a slight lean backwards.

"JUST A FACT! I'LL SHOW YOU JUST WHAT KIND OF FACTS CAN BE SAID ABOUT ME!" Eleanor shouted as she calmed down just enough from her anger to start a coherent tirade. "I CAN SUMMON GOLEMS THE SIZE OF BUILDINGS! I CAN FIT INTO DRESSES THAT COULD FIT AROUND YOUR ANKLES! I CAN HOLD DOWN A GUY LONGER THAN AN-"

"How about you prove the fact that you can open the first door to the vault?" Dove broke into her rant while rising a challenging eyebrow, "That would be impressive."

"I CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT!" Eleanor shrieked, "I can go all the way into the vault itself!"

Dove smirked internally but outwardly only raised her second eyebrow to join the first. With her face showing open disbelief, Dove demanded, "Prove it."

Eleanor stood upright, her narrowed eyes only now realizing what Dove had done and not liking the triumphant gleam in her adversary's blue orbs before she huffed out a short breath and stormed off to prove her own words.

Agnes and Julio both had to jump to the sides as the blond barreled through them to the door jerked it open, and slammed it behind her.

"Do you think she knows where the first door even is?" Dove asked her companions as she stared after the Valliere.

"I don't think so," Agnes commented before turning her attention to Dove. "You did that on purpose," she said, raising an eyebrow just like Dove had done.

"Yup," Dove said smirking with cat-got-the-cream pleasure.

"Why? We could have convinced her with reason or I could have ordered her to do it as a musketeer captain," Agnes asked.

Dove snorted to show what she thought of that idea. "She was working her way up to say no," Dove explained, "The first thing she said was outlining how possibly illegal what we are doing could be and reiterating that we had been told off by Osmond. I've seen this kind of behavior before; she was going to say no."

"That," Dove added as an afterthought, "and it was fun to wind her up and watch her explode."

Julio, unlike Agnes and Dove, was watching the Baroness instead of just listening. In his mind, he remembered the conversation he had with Louise before the night he couldn't remember. The idea of having Dove as a nun was an interesting one. It would provide the kind of control that the church would need over her potion and where it went, but it also had many flaws and dangers.

The biggest issue with making Dove a nun was her disposition: she wouldn't accept the church on pride alone. From what Julio could gather, Dove was simply too stubborn to give up her heathen gods and goddesses for Brimir's sake. What she needed was someone to show her the way, someone to help facilitate the humbling of Dove Bosquet.

This trip into the vault was mostly to help Agnes find the name of her enemy, don't get him wrong on that. However, Julio decided to help specifically so that he could observe the Baroness himself in a different kind of situation. He had been watching her ever since she had threatened his arrival with a sword, but if his plan was to work he needed to be more observant and detailed.

He needed to know not just what she did, but how she thought. So far all he could tell was that she liked playing with people and had an interesting definition of 'bored'.

'A great journey starts with a single step,' Julio had decided and enacted his plan on making Dove humbler.

"Behavior like that could be very dangerous," Julio cautioned the maid, trying to appear enigmatic and wise.

"You say dangerous, I say fun," Dove answered with an unconcerned shrug as attempt one of Julio's plan failed to cause any change in her disposition.

Julio just took the defeat with a smile, before deciding on his next step, 'I'll have to convince Louise and her other students to help me bring the word of Brimir to her understanding.'

"We should probably go find her and lead her to where we need to go," Dove said, walking to the door and poking her head out to try and spot Eleanor. Seeing no sign of her, Dove quickly moved out to look, followed by her companions.

* * *

They found the blond pacing up and down the halls as she tried to find the hidden vault entrance. Looking at the girl, Dove was sure that the female part of the Valliere family was part fire atronach despite their lack of skill in that element. Each time they got angry and started pacing they seemed to generate enough of their own heat to set nearby parchment on fire and vaporize small bodies of water.

She bemoaned the loss of some poor kid's classwork as Eleanor passed it for a second time while pacing, causing it catch on fire.

"The hidden entrance is this way," Dove drawled loudly to her quarry just as Agnes and Julio caught up with her.

Eleanor froze in the middle of her pacing and turned to glare over her shoulder at them. Dove, smirking, was pointing down the hall she was standing in while Agnes and Julio flanked her with unreadable expressions.

Huffing in anger, Eleanor turned and marched down the hall Dove had indicated.

-[]-

Agnes led the group into the main dining hall. The room was empty since it was between lunch and dinner and classes were going on. Agnes moved quickly through the hall towards the... girl's restroom.

Dove blinked. "Wait, it's in there?" she asked as she came up to the rooms entrance.

"Yes, it's in the closet behind a false wall," Agnes said moving past the stalls to the closed door beyond them.

Julio looked around the room with a smile on his face. "So, this is what the girl's bathroom looks like on the inside," he said with a small chuckle. Dove, and everyone else, ignored the stupid male comment and moved into the dusty cleaning closet.

"I was sure there's nothing in here," Dove said as she followed Agnes, "I've seen false walls before and none of them look like any of the ones in here."

"Maybe you're just too blind to see what's right in front of you," Eleanor said, glad to get a shot at the loathsome woman.

"Quiet, both of you," Agnes snapped over her shoulder, cutting Dove off with her mouth open before another fight could start. Dove and Eleanor shot the Musketeer captain the same dark look before dropping the fight.

Agnes glared back at the two women for a moment longer, almost like a wolf asserting its dominance over a pack, before purposely striding to a wall and pushing her way through it.

Dove raised an eyebrow as she studied the wall. The brick around the frame and the hidden door itself were the same color and had obviously been built at the same time. Its location inside of the bathroom had prevented the normal changes time often wrought on walls.

The tunnel beyond the hidden door was a dark, almost natural looking flight of stairs. It was wide enough for the four of them to walk down side by side, but the group soon found themselves shifting their relative positions for the best protection in the dark.

Agnes was in front of the group, followed by Dove and Eleanor almost neck in neck with each other, and Julio providing rearguard. Agnes was carrying a lantern that gave light to a small space around them and caused deep shadows to stand out of the smallest of irregularities on the walls. The ceiling had long since vanished from sight when Dove turned around and looked back at the way they came.

"What's preventing someone from just leaning against the wall and opening it on accident?" Dove asked the group to see if they had an answer.

"Nobody comes in here," Eleanor stated from beside the Baroness as they walked deeper down the flight of dark stairs, "The custodial staff keep some cleaning supplies laying around but apart from them no one comes in here."

"Absolutely no one uses the closet?" Dove reiterated with a shocked expression, "What's wrong with them? In my experience, if you fill a building with hundreds of magical teenagers then they would use every available out of sight space for something private."

Dove was thinking about the summoning gauntlet in the dark midden that had killed its creators by summoning an awesome pirate daedra and the Augur of Dunlain, but the scandalized look on Eleanor's face seemed to indicate that she was thinking of something else people did in private.

"How disgusting!" the blond woman snapped at the confused Dove, "As if any young woman would bring a boy through the bathroom just to get some privacy."

Dove figured out what Eleanor was thinking of and it caused a grin to split her face. "Of course not," She assured the Valliere, "Bringing a boy into the bathroom would look suspicious, so they would bring another girl to roll about with." Eleanor turned a lovely shade of pink as an image, very, briefly flickered through her mind.

"That also brings back my original point," Dove continued, cooking the uptight woman's brain, "If two young women are playing around in the closet then they would have found the hidden door eventually. Like what if one jumps up to wrap her legs around her lesbian lover to try and grind their crotches together, moaning all the while as her need for stimulation overrides her self-control, against the other while standing up and they crash against the wall?"

"GAAAHH!" Eleanor shouted as she reached up with both hands to try and kill the images in her head and nearly falling when she misjudged a step.

"Oh my," Dove's face was the picture of innocence and honest concern, "Ms. Valliere, are you alright? Maybe you should go back, It looks like you've gone completely insane."

"Quit it now, Bosquet!" Agnes turned around and ordered the Baroness like she would a subordinate, "This is not the time or place, so stop acting like a child or I will treat you like one and send you back."

'And miss the only proper fun I've had in a while,' Dove added silently before bowing her head.

"My apologies Captain Agnes," she said with proper contriteness. She really wanted to find out what kind of spell was protecting the vault as well as how well these 'golden golems' stood up to her magicka.

Agnes waited a moment to make sure the message to sink in before nodding and pointing ahead, "There's the door."

The room they had arrived in was rather small, a little over twenty-five feet wide and only fifteen deep. What the room lacked in length and width it more than made up in height. Agnes' lantern couldn't even reach the top of a simply massive door that appeared out of the wall in front of them. The dark wood and black frame made its mere presence look like the pathway into something forbidden.

"This leads to the secret vault of old documents that the palace doesn't want to see the light of day," Dove said, looking in honest awe at the towering construction, "Quick question, how do they get the old documents in here in the first place?"

"I'm told that there's a drop box that magically sends down the documents and then sorts them somehow," Agnes answered before eagerly saying, "Miss Valliere, if you will."

The blond woman nodded and pulled out what looked like opera glasses and started examining the door. After a moment, she sighed, "There are three magical locks," she said, "Each one is simple, but they can't be unlocked without the combination."

'This sounds very familiar,' Dove thought remembering a few doors that had three simple locks in the shape of a circle.

"Have you figured out the combination?" Agnes pressed as she tapped a foot to restrain herself.

Eleanor nodded and pointed her wand at the top lock. "The binding of the lock… undo," she intoned and swept her wand down.

A brief burst of light outlined the indents in the door before the locks opened with a snap.

"Thank you very much," Agnes said with a pleased smile, "Is everyone ready to go in?"

"Kind of late to be asking that," Dove said while Eleanor and Julio just nodded.

"Stop right there!" a worried but authoritative voice called out from up the stairs drawing everyone's attention. Standing above them with his own lantern was Professor Colbert.

"Hi professor," Dove called out waving nonchalantly.

Colbert ignored the maid and looked directly at the musketeer. "Agnes," he sighed looking and sounding like a disappointed father, "I thought that the headmaster was against something like this, you know that it's dangerous."

Agnes had had enough. She had permission from the Queen, she had gathered the necessary help, she had come this far, and she was not giving up now. "I do not take orders from cowards!" Agnes spat and then charged the door, slamming into it by lowering a shoulder and letting her momentum carry her though.

"AGNES!" Colbert yelled after the musketeer, fear evident as the woman disappeared into the corridor beyond the now open door.

Dove gave the man a quick grin before racing to catch up with the woman, Eleanor and Julio hot on her heels.

-[]-

Colbert's shouts still echoed behind them, not losing any strength even as the group got deeper into the tunnel. Looking over her shoulder Dove could see Colbert running to keep up with the group while he shouted for them to slow.

"We'll slow down if you decided to come with us and not try to stop us," she called back, getting the man's attention.

"You shouldn't, be down here," Colbert argued, breathing a little heavily as he tried to run and talk at the same time. He didn't have the same level of fitness he had had years ago.

Dove, however, was completely unaffected by her exertions and called back calmly despite the run, "We have permission from the Queen, anyone who tries to stop us after that is technically obstructing the Queen's soldiers and by definition guilty of treason." She grinned teasingly at the flabbergasted face Colbert made as he tried to work through that statement.

"At least tell, me why you're, down here," Colbert asked between breaths.

"Fun," Dove answered, still grinning, "and Agnes wants some old document on the destruction of her home town, but that's on her."

It was hard to tell in the light and while looking over her shoulder, but Dove could have sworn Colbert's face paled at the mention of a destroyed town. However, Dove could have also sworn she saw something golden out the corner of her eye that wasn't there when she looked again, so maybe she was just seeing things

"Just stop!" Colbert cried out, "I won't try to stop you anymore, I don't think I could even if I wanted to, so please stop running!"

Dove slowed her run to a jog as she tested Colbert's word. As she slowed down he did as well, coming to a walk that prompted Dove to put a hand on Agnes' shoulder. "Hold on," the Baroness said as she slowed Agnes down. If Colbert was going to keep his word, then there was no need to keep running.

The normally level headed musketeer twisted around and punched Dove right in the throat, above the collarbone, her face a snarl of rage for whomever dared try and stop her.

Dove choked as the woman's fist hit her lower throat, the combination of her momentum going forwards and Agnes' fist coming back wasn't enough to break anything, but it hurt a lot. Dove stumbled as she clutched at her throat, missing the changing expressions as the snarl on Agne's face turn to horror as her rage evaporated and her actions registered with her mind and then worry for the woman she struck.

"I'm sorry. Dove, are you alright?" the panicked Musketeer stopped and seized Dove by the shoulders to steady her.

Dove sucked down a ragged breath as she blinked back tears felt at her throat. Behind her Julio and Colbert rushed forwards to try and help while Eleanor stood by, watching as she tried to figure out if she was satisfied that Dove had gotten hit or concerned over how bad a hit she took.

Dove held up a hand and waved it around, looking a bit like she was waving them off and a bit like she was trying to fan herself.

'I'll make Agnes practice healing hands on this,' Dove decided as she felt her throat. "..." Dove tried to answer her companion's words only to find that her voice was gone.

"I'm sorry," Agnes bowed her head, "I've just been so angry at all the problems that kept getting in my way and struck without think of my actions." Agnes hated herself in that moment, she truly had lost complete control of her actions and now it might have permanently hurt someone who had come this far with her.

"What were you thinking hitting her right there?" Eleanor finally figured out what to feel, "She might be extremely rude, but that was crossing a line."

"I wasn't thinking is the problem," Agnes admitted shamefully. Looking back, she hadn't been thinking through quite a few decisions as of late.

"Dove, are you okay!" the sound of voices much younger than anyone currently there interrupted any further conversation with its urgency, causing them to look around for the source.

The group was quickly drawn to the sound of feet running towards them, the light from their lanterns only reached a tiny bit back into the dark hallway. As the sound grew louder the darkness first revealed flashes of white and reflected metal followed by the outlines of two figures.

As the unknowns came raced closer they were revealed to be Louise and Siesta of all people. Dove had about three seconds to appreciate the fact that two of her students had apparently followed the group into an apparently dangerous tunnel before another shadow became visible behind the group.

Stepping out of the shadows was large, vaguely man shaped, and about the size of a Dwemer Centurion.

"…!" Dove tried screaming at the two only for no sound to come out. Fortunately, the other three more than made up for her forced silence.

"LOUISE, MOVE!" Eleanor screamed, showing off an impressive volume that unfortunately caused both Louise and Siesta to turn around, look back, and scream with her.

* * *

 **My mind is a strange place.**


	53. I figured out how change chapter titles!

**"Welcome to my story"**

 **"I don't own anything"**

 **"If you don't own anything," you say looking around and spotting teddykins, "then I'm just going to take thi-"**

 **SLAM!**

 **You twist around as the wall behind you breaks and a mob of men in black suits and hats with red ties and sunglasses charge in.**

 **"That is copy righted," Thug leader one said while lifting a machine gun in his (black) gloved hands.**

 **"You have to pay over a billion Lien, I mean dust, I mean dollars," Thug leader two says screwing up his line.**

 **"You always do that," Leader one complained.**

 **"Well it's not like you have to keep more then one universes currency straight in your head," Leader two shot back.**

 **As the group started arguing over how stupid you had to be to mess up like that, a hand grabs yours.**

 **"Quick, this way," a voice says before jerking you towards a blood soaked wall that opens like the mouth of a huge monster.**

 **Without a moment of hesitation the person drags you into the now relieved hallway, enveloping you in the dark as the entrance closes.**

* * *

 **Akshak: Maybe she will.**

 **XInsanityXGuiltechXShadowwindX: IS NOT! Mine is totally stranger, ;P**

 **Lunatic-Modo: Actually no, in the anime that is where the entrance is, if it was a reference then it was one that's canon.**

 **helkil: Dragon rage prefers squishy targets but there could be some soon. I don't know, the question becomes: which adrea or daedra might be worshiped?**

 **Cyclinity: You're quite welcome... now sacrifice 42 virgins to my glory. :)**

 **Touhou is Life: well it's rather simple; up is down left is right, cats and dogs living together, mass hysteria.**

 **Boyzilla: Thanks for Pming with me to go over your opinion.**

 **alexc123: Things are literally going down. In a way you've got to admire my version of Julio, he keeps trying even after a failure and somehow bounced back from wherever I put him.**

 **RedBurningDragon: Nope. It might be too close to the sun, but what a glorious flight Julio will have before he burns in dragon fire. :) (why is thoughts of Julio in pain making me happy?)**

 **legitglenn: Intro is for you.**

 **TheENDstyler: An old, beat up Centurion at first but soon there will be battles where the Dwemer automatons shine.**

 **XSDStitch: How about Karliya? Nightingale, Dunmer, Cynical, Thief, and killer, the church would have a fit. Julio would smile, pass out, and wake to find himself strapped to a table with Sheo (Fem maybe?) feeding him cheese. I haven't seen your OCs, I'll have look up your stories.**

 **Zapper3000380: All shall be explained young one. That's the point, watching him fail.**

 **Gust: Here it is.**

 **Blackholelord: In the anime the vault is a lot less impressive: a storage for old documents that they can't destroy simply because they're official documents, guarded by two doors (one not even locked) and a redundant spell that would only attack if you are too lazy for basic manual labor.**

 **btnerb: I know, the first time I heard the phrase it burned.**

 **MasterXMaster: When did Dove get a point on Agnes? I can't remember. Dove will win, Dove always wins!**

 **Me Myself and I: While the Daedra would be fun, imagine this: Dove figures out what he's trying to do and gets fed up with it, prays to daddy, and now Julio has the whole of the aedra on his ass starting with the dragon god himself and followed by the one woman who can prevent him from ever getting laid.**

 **iamthezero: Control... some are lacking it.**

 **pedrofaria339: not true, some of the ones I've visited are rather organized and clean.**

 **perfectshade: I was certain that there was no way in oblivion that Dove would just ask her for help. Agnes simply need to get her head out of the past, she's fine apart from that. There are a plethora of healing spells so it shouldn't be an issue for long. Now I feel bad about my plans for Julio, if he's a product of his environment then it's less satisfying to crush him.**

 **Ilikebob: I needed a nurse character and could only think of one off the top of my head.**

* * *

Dove moved as soon as her two students slowed down to look back. First she tried to shout herself forwards with Whirlwind Sprint, only to be reminded of her throat. Mentally cursing her lack of voice, Dove instead booked it as fast as her legs could carry her, trying to reach them before the first attack.

Before the elf had crossed half the distance to the girls, the shadow reared back just bit and jerked forwards to unleash a spray of steam that would have engulfed the two girls if Louise hadn't thrown herself against Siesta, carrying both girls to the side and out of the way.

Dove finished closing the distance between herself and the steam blast just as it started to dissipate, lightning gathering in one hand. Seconds later, she broke through the last trace of hot air and got her first good look at the enemy.

Somewhere deep under her battle oriented mindset, Dove reeled in shock. Standing in front of her was a rather beaten up and dented Dwemer Centurion. The worked dwarven metal was old and showing the various colors of corrosion in some spots. The bladed left arm was missing from where the elbow would be and the face was crushed almost beyond recognition, but there was no mistaking what it was.

The Centurion moved to strike at the new target in front of it. The functioning right hammer swung up and crashed down in a deliberate, powerful strike. On the sidelines, Louise clutched Siesta to herself as the other girl screamed and covered her head and curled up into the fetal position to protect herself. The two girls had only come here because they had been confused as to why the group was going into the bathroom together. For Siesta, this wasn't anywhere near the kind of environment she was used to and it showed by her near panic.

Dove dodged to the right, away from both the attack and the girls to gain space. The floor cracked a little under the behemoth's attack. Its head turned to the left and right as if looking for her or deciding who to attack first. The two girls were tempting since they weren't moving, but Dove made the decision easy by throwing a bolt of lightning at the machine to gets it attention.

Her attack sparked across the centurion's metal skin, shorting out some internal pieces. The old golem's arm froze in place as the current lept through it. Instead of trying to use the arm again, the centurion instead rushed the maid, it's lowered shoulder aimed right at her face.

"ATTACK!" Eleanor's voice rang through the hall. Dove summoned a bound sword to do just that when she realized that the blond wasn't talking to her.

A comparatively small earth golem thundered towards the two fighters. Similar in size to the Centurion, the moving hill of rock jabbed with its left fist as it closed the distance between them. The hardened rock fist crashed into the Centurion's metal face, turning what was left of it into an unrecognizable mess.

Dove moved further to the right as the Centurion staggered backwards, getting behind the creation. Leveling both of her hands, Dove felt her core burn as she unleashed the hottest flames she could create at the right knee joint, trying to melt through the leg. Prioritizing the larger threat in front of it, the Centurion swung up with the broken left arm, opening a large gouge across the golem's face with a sharp edge and staggering it with the blow.

The Centurion took a step forwards to follow up the attack only for one of its legs to not move with it. Instead the Centurion staggered and 'looked' down to see what was wrong.

It's right side slid a bit lower than it's left as the joint melted completely through and reformed six inches lower. Before the Centurion could re-engage the golem, the living rock creation attacked again, only sporting a ragged cut over one eye from the Centurion's attack.

Bringing both hands together, the golem brought the combined force of its fists down on the Centurion's right shoulder. Dove melting though it's leg combined with the crushing blow from above was too much for the old construct to shrug off and with a hiss of steam and a tortured screech of metal the Centurion collapsed onto it's side.

Eleanor's golem took an almost scary advantage of the downed automaton as it moved in and punched it again and again, raining fists of stone as if it sought to pound the creation back into the ground from whence it came.

Dove moved around it, coming back into the view of her group. Waving her hands over her head to get their attention, Dove made a violent motion to convey their need to stop.

"What is it?" Julio shouted curiously as he tried to figure out what Dove wanted.

Dove pointed at the Golem and then made an 'end' motion with her hand. The group shared a look before Eleanor flicked her wand and the golem settled back into a pile of dirt with a low rumble. Dove immediately moved to check on Louise and Siesta as soon as the dirt settled.

"Are you alright?" Louise asked Dove as she approached instead of focusing on herself. Dove frowned before nodded but adding a gesture to her throat.

"Something happened to your throat?" Louise deduced, concern filling her voice.

"W-when we caught up to you," Siesta continued shakily, "it looked like you had been stabbed in the throat or something and we rushed forwards to see if you needed help. Did something like that happen?"

Dove waved in a way that seemed to indicate that she was fine, before punching one hand into the other and then gesturing at her throat again.

"You got punched in the neck?" Siesta, who was the reigning champion at charades in the kitchens, correctly guessed more steadily as the shock started to leave her.

Dove nodded.

"You survived getting punched in the throat by one of those things?" Louise asked looking between the dented lump of dwarven metal that had attacked them and Dove as she tried to figure out just what could 'punch' her familiar down here.

Dove shook her head.

Louise and Siesta frowned in confusion. "Then what punched you?" Louise asked.

Dove uncaringly pointed back towards the group, specifically Agnes but it was hard to tell from this distance. The group was looking sheepish and Agnes was rubbing her head, making the guilty party all too obvious to the newcomers.

Deciding to get up and get answers herself, Louise stood and dusted herself off before marching unflinchingly towards the group, even though the company contained her eldest sister. Siesta shook herself before quickly getting up and falling in a step behind her as she wanted answers as well.

Dove watched both girls go before standing up and summoning a dagger and turning to the destroyed Centurion.

-[]-

"What happened?" Louise demanded coming to a halt just in front of the group and crossing her arms so that she could see all of them equally. Siesta stood by her side trying to look just as intimidating as she fixed a glare on the assembly.

"Whatever do you mean?" Julio asked trying to forestall the kind of small, but very scary, women.

"How did Dove become mute?" Siesta clarified trying to imitate Louise's bold tone. Agnes winced.

"It's my fault," the musketeer admitted guiltily, "I hit her when she grabbed my shoulder and I thought she was trying to stop me from getting to the vault." Louise and Siesta turned to give Agnes their full attention when she started talking, unfortunately increasing the matching set of dark looks.

"So," Louise started, "you hurt Dove because you thought she was trying to stop you from getting to some kind of vault?"

Agnes nodded still looking guilty.

"Why did you think that?" Louise just couldn't understand, "Dove isn't anything like that, she probably would have helped you find wherever this vault is." Siesta narrowed her eyes in anger, forgetting that the person she was glaring at was on a much higher social shelf then herself,

"Hasn't she already helped you? Going off to find a vault somewhere like this seems like the kind of thing she would be willing to help with."

Agnes slowly nodded. "She did," the words only highlighted Agnes' failure. "She convinced your sister to come down with us, Louise, so that we could even get in in the first place." Both girls were angry and confused by this admission.

"Then Why Did You Hit Her!?" Louise shouted. The group could feel every capitalized letter in that sentence as Louise was almost spluttering with rage.

"I don't know!" Agnes cried back, "I wasn't thinking it through. I'm sorry, I've said it already if I could undo it then I would. Please believe me."

Louise felt like tearing out her hair in frustration. Her familiar, true she thought of Dove as her familiar infrequently, but she still was on some level her responsibility, had gotten hurt. She was angry not only for the fact that it had happened, but she hadn't even known where she was when she had gotten hurt.

"Dove!" Louise turned around and shouted at the woman in question, "Are you going to weigh in on this discussion? OH WAIT, YOU CAN'T!"

-[]-

Over by the destroyed enemy, Dove looked up from what she was doing to look over at the irate girl. She shrugged once since she didn't need to get Louise angrier, and went back to trying to cut the Centurion's chest open.

-[]-

Louise turned back to the company before she could truly take in what Dove was doing and glared at Agnes in a way that, to Eleanor, looked shockingly like her mother on a bad day and even seemed to make her appear taller, more looming.

"Fix her," She demanded in a frightening tone.

Agnes flinched back from the small girl's gaze. "I don't know how, I'm not a trained healer," she repeated, hating the fact.

"Hasn't Dove taught you healing hands yet?" Louise snapped, "She taught it to the rest of her students, so why don't you know it?" Agnes blinked before mentally slapping herself. She hadn't considered using magicka.

"She did," Agnes acknowledged, face palming herself.

"Then fix her," Louise repeated, pointing at the baroness down the tunnel.

-[]-

Dove was grinning like a madwoman and holding a large crystal in front of her face, trying to get a close up look at the structure despite the dim light where she was standing. This was exactly what she wanted to find the second she had identified just what was attacking her: a grand soul gem. Dove put the gem down next to the destroyed Centurion, starting one of her usual piles of loot she liked to make while dungeon hunting, before reaching back into the machines chest.

'Maybe the Dynamo core is still intact,' Dove thought giddily, those things were so bloody hard to get.

"-OVE! DID YOU HEAR ANYTHING I JUST SAID!?"

Dove looked up from the mess of coils and springs that stuck out of the creation's chest to find the source of the irritated voice. One hand, however, still picked and pulled at the parts inside it. Louise was just in front of her, she looked rather angry about something.

Dove shook her head.

"I said, don't you have some kind of punishment for Agnes? Since she is your student and all," Louise repeated. She was very annoyed with everyone here: Agnes was the one she was the most enraged with, for gathering this party and hurting Dove, Julio and her sister were next on the list for helping them get here, Colbert for failing to stop them when he was supposed to be the responsible teacher, and she was even angry at Dove for being so calm despite all that had happened.

Dove glanced over at Agnes. She was looking on, trying to appear calm but with a noticeable quickening in her breath indicating her desire to be somewhere else. Looking back at Louise, Dove grinned. Her smile was a carefully constructed expression mixed from a vampire lord's when they get to feed, Hagraven smiles, and whatever expression a lurker makes when it finds something new to chew.

Agnes felt a chill run down her spine as Dove created her unholy expression that grew when her teacher added a nod. Then Dove returned to digging in the things body for interesting items. For some reason, Dove has no qualm teaching Agnes the fast healing spell now.

Trying to lessen the fear she was feeling, Agnes took the initiative and moved forwards to heal Dove. Stopping by her teacher's side, Agnes took a breath and reached inside for the feeling of magicka and letting it flow up into her arms. Golden light bloomed in her palms and flowed to Dove.

Dove smiled, this time in relief as any remaining pain in her throat disappeared.

"I think that-" Dove cut off as a huge cough suddenly erupted from her, forestalling her words.

"Are you alright?" Louise asked as a worried expression crossed her face.

"I'm fi-" Dove tried before breaking off into a cough again, a fleck of blood coming out with the cough, but Dove hid that in her hand.

"Maybe I didn't do it enough?" Agnes hypothesized, "Should I try again?"

Before anyone else could answer, Dove shook her head. "I'll be fine," she whispered, since that seemed to be the only level of volume she could manage.

"Are you sure?" Louise asked concern bleeding off her.

Dove smiled and gave a thumb up.

"HA!" the baroness suddenly cried before coughing again. 'Got to stop doing that,' Dove thought to herself before pulling out an odd contraption. It looked like a red crystal sphere surrounded by a metal jacket with a metal cage around that.

"What is that?" Louise asked, confused by Dove's apparent happiness at finding it.

"The Core," Dove answered simply before sliding the large construct into a pocket in her apron.

Louise blinked in even more confusion, you could practically see the question marks floating over her head.

"Where? How did that fit in your pocket?" She finally got her question out.

"It's bigger on the inside," Dove quietly replied with a smile. 'I sound like Tabitha,' Dove mentally mused, and wasn't too unpleased with the thought.

"We need to go," Dove said, becoming serious, "Dwemer creations don't come separately."

Louise frowned. "Dwemer? What's that?"

Dove raised an eyebrow, "I told you before, deep elves."

That set off the entire group. Eleanor, Colbert and Siesta gasped before looking around as if they expected pointy eared monsters to jump out of the shadows at them. Agnes grabbed at the pistol on her belt, she hadn't drawn it before for fear of hitting Dove and the girls. Julio had a relaxed smile but his eyes looked ahead, as if he was trying to see all the way to the end of the tunnel and catch sight of any traps between here and there. Louise however frowned, putting her hand on her chin for a moment before perking up and slamming one hand into her other one.

"That's right," she said in realization. "Weren't they the ones that vanished and no one could find them?"

Dove nodded grinning, "Yes, but they left fun things behind." Striding forwards, Dove summoned a sword to be ready. "Keep Derf out," she spoke over her shoulder to Louise, "There's going to be more."

"How do you know that?" Julio asked, intrigued by Dove's knowledge. "Do you have any experience with these 'deep' elves?"

Dove shook her head and spoke when they got close, "They vanished a long time ago. Only ruins and automatic defenses." She waved behind herself at the fallen Centurion when she said 'automatic defenses'.

"So, you have experience with their defenses," Julio mused before turning to the musketeer, "Alright. Agnes, I would suggest that Dove here takes point in case we run into more of these things."

Agnes nodded, agreeing completely.

"Wait a minute," Eleanor cut in, still looking around her. "What about the children?" She gestured to Louise, who glared at the demeaning name, and Siesta, "Shouldn't they be sent back? They're missing classes." Dove rolled her eyes before moving close to the blond woman to make sure Eleanor heard her and totally not because it allowed her to glare more effectively.

"Going back would be a mistake, we were lucky to not trigger any traps till now," she hissed, "They will most likely die if sent back." Eleanor glared at Dove but couldn't think of an argument she could use against the apparent authority on these 'Dwemer'.

"Then we should continue forwards," Julio stated while graciously gesturing forwards with a small bow to Dove. Taking the lead, Dove marched down the tunnel.

* * *

The larger party moved down the hall, Dove holding the lantern and grumbling about how little light there was. The tunnel seemed to subtly shift as they walked further down it, as if it had been made by someone other than whomever had made the tunnel up till now. The ceiling was most definitely lower than before, making the passageway a perfect square.

At least it should have been a perfect square. The damage to the tunnel was extensive, cracks spider webbed their ways across the walls and the ground was broken where it looked like one section had sunk a whole foot while the rest remained steady or even risen a bit. It was hard to tell with the low light, but it also looked like the entire passage was a little tilted. Dove was lost in thought, part of her brain was watching the ground in front of her and the wall to the side for traps while the other was confused as to how this building was even here.

Could this ruin be part of the reason why the Dwemer had vanished all those years ago? Or was it a completely unrelated event that brought this building here? Another question just as important as those questions rang through the adventurer's head, 'What treasure can I find here?' There was always loot to be found in Dwemer ruins, most of it in materials.

"I must say," the voice of Julio distracted her, "Louise has some rather interesting things to say about the elves from your homeland. Tell me, did these Dwemer truly create boxes that required their own blood to use?"

Dove glanced over at the annoyance. He was smiling, again, and trying to draw her into a conversation while she was supposed to be watching the road ahead.

"Yes," Dove said shortly, up ahead was a larger room.

"She also said that you got it to open," Julio continued watching her reactions, "How can that be if you said there weren't any Dwemer left?"

The room ahead was like several that Dove had been in before, it was long and had a grate floor and walls which separated the hall from a plethora of metal pipes. Dove frowned as she caught sight of a thick bar set into the middle of the floor.

"Did you hear me?" Julio asked politely when Dove didn't answer. Dove nodded but didn't move her eyes from the center of the walk way.

"Oh my," Julio said looking around as they entered the Dwemer path. "What a strange room, what are all these metal...things, for?" Julio asked, looking at the pipes.

"Don't know," Dove answered while moving forwards, "Don't touch."

Nobody disobeyed her despite how much Colbert obviously wanted to.

Half way into the room, there was a sound of metal sliding across metal and a pipe at the end of the tunnel snapped open. Half of the group, Siesta and Louise understandably, Julio laughably, let out a shriek and jumped as a metal orb like creature with a spinning gyro on top and multiple legs burst from the pipe and started scrabbling towards them.

Dove watched as the spider got closer, the only one in the group not panicking on some level. The spider was in much better condition than the Centurion had been, in fact, it looked like it was in perfect condition like all the other automatons Dove had ran into had been.

BANG

Before the spider could get within attacking distance however, Agnes pulled her gun and shot it.

The Dwemer metal apparently wasn't strong enough to stop a bullet, or maybe it was because Agnes had hit in in the gyro, but either way the spider stopped moving.

Dove quickly ran up and ripped the thing apart to find its soul gem.

"What are you looking for?" Agnes asked, this time paying closer attention this time to Dove's pickings.

Dove shrugged her off before standing up, common soul gem in hand. Gesturing forwards, Dove marched again. The group followed her again, more than one annoyed at Dove's lack of response.

-[]-

"What can we expect to find down here?" Julio finally asked a question that was relevant to their current situation.

"Spiders," Dove answered with Louise repeating her words to be louder and pointing back the way they had come. "Spheres, imagine metal men as tall as me that can curl up into spheres as tall as my hip." The group frowned as they imagined creations like that, except for Colbert he was getting excited, "Centurions, what attacked us at the start."

"How often can we expect to run into these creatures?" Agnes asked, trying to think of a plan of attack.

"A little more often then we run into traps," Dove answered truthfully.

Eleanor was the next one to ask, "What kinds of traps?"

"Mostly just grates springing forwards to hit you, blow darts, flamethrowers, steam blasts, spinning blades, ballista, crossbows, falling boulders, spears, slicers, spike pits, swinging blades, swinging maces, trap doors, elemental runes, pools of oil with suspended flames, poisonous gas, spellcaster gems, and battering rams," Dove listed some of the more mundane things she had found in places like this.

She was rather sure that there weren't any draugr down here so she didn't mention them. In fact, she prayed she wouldn't end up running into anything with this group, but knew that that wish was laughably unlikely.

The group was silent while they processed this massive list. "You know how to deal with these traps if we run into them right?" Siesta asked hopefully.

Dove nodded before answering, "You need to be quiet, watch the floor for buttons, and the walls for openings. I can do the rest."

All eyes were immediately on the walls or floors after that.

-[]-

Dove scanned the floor ahead of the group as they came to the end of the long room. Finding what she was looking for, Dove gestured all the others over to a wheel on the wall.

"Traps are everywhere," Dove told the group before demonstrating. As the wheel turned there was an almost silent clicking until with a snap, blades shot out of the grate they had just travelled through.

"Those are blades," Dove described calmly while the entire party shivered as none of them had spotted those, even though they had been walking overtop of them a second or two ago. Dove continued her practical demonstration.

"These," she pointed at the wheel, "are one of the ways that traps can be activated or deactivated. If you find yourself walking into a trap then look for one immediately, also check for levers that can also stop the trap or buttons that indicate that you'll just have to wait it out."

Agnes, Eleanor, Siesta, Louise, and Julio all got the basic idea down in a heartbeat: levers and wheels are your friends while buttons are evil.

Colbert on the other hand, "How do they work?" the excited professor asked trying to get a closer look at the spinning blades of death. Dove blinked as the professor killed her serious attitude.

"I don't know," Dove respond, "It just does. I know how to turn them off and on and use them to my advantage."

Colbert frowned, "Understanding how things work allows you to use them more effectively now and create them later."

Dove rolled her eyes, "I don't want to make more death traps later. I prefer to stab my issues instead of trap them."

Julio felt a chill as he thought about that fact and how quickly he would have to change that aspect of her personality if he wanted to keep his head.

Agnes moved up and grabbed the wheel herself to give it a turn. As the circle turned, the blades snapped together and retracted into the floor. "It doesn't matter right now how these things work," she said, looking at Colbert, "We need to get out of here alive first. Dove, lead on."

The elf adventurer saluted before turning around and striding towards a bend up ahead. The party got back on her heels despite Colbert's whining, and followed her. Around the bend was a set of tall double doors, beautifully worked pieces of copper colored metal that Dove threw open without a care.

The room beyond was simply massive. It was at least as large around as one of the towers above ground at the academy and maybe twice as deep. It was surprisingly bright for a room underground. The light seemed to be coming from large growths of glowing mushrooms that dotted the cavern and some very reflective stones that amplified that light. Colbert was instantly fascinated by the bioluminescent fungi and decided to get samples.

The walkway their door led to went out to a large platform that was suspended in the air in the center of the room before it branched off to two other walkways that each had their own doors hiding what lay beyond. Underneath them were two other platforms that came out of the walls, indicating that there were various levels in the Dwemer building.

"I know it's a bad time to ask," Dove asked out loud, "but does anyone have a map?"

At the resounding silence Dove smirked, "Okay, I guess we'll just have to search this place room by room." Most of the party seemed to be rather upset by these words, but for some reason, two of them just couldn't help but smile. 'Akatosh, sometimes I love my job,' thought one while the other couldn't wait to see what these ruins held.

* * *

 **So.**

 **There is a reason for every single trap ever used in the game being listed.**

 **I want you! *Points at screen while wearing a american flag themed top hat* to tell me what you want to see them run into in this dungeon. There are at least three levels and a massive amount of possibility so weigh in on what tries to kill them next!**


	54. It came from the garbage pile

**"Wait, stop!" you cry into the dark as whomever grabbed your hand pulls you deeper into the dark.**

 **"Not until we get out of the I don't own Familiar of Zero or Skyrim part of the mind," the voice said.**

 **"Who are you and what's going on here?" you ask, "I'm supposed to be scouting the mind of someone called Snipern0sniping and suddenly I'm being surrounded by other people, most minds only have one or two consciousnesses yet this one has a freaking firing squad."**

 **"You are in Snipern0sniping's mind, he or she just has a lot of people living in here," the voice answers, "The fireing squad was just some of their idiocy given shape."**

 **There is light up ahead and with it you can just start to make out the shape of your rescuer. "Who are you?" you ask.**

 **As you come into the lighted area your able to get a good look at your rescuer. She is a woman with dark pink hair, black futuristic armor, reminiscent of Tron legacy, and small horn like nubs peaking out of her hair.**

 **"I'm the main voice in Snipern0sniping's head, my name is Creaper."**

* * *

 **shamwoohoo52: Mostly because she wants Agnes to see what she caused, I know that wasn't really explained.**

 **XSDStitch: Basically Julio wants what Dove has and he's smart enough to know she won't give it to him right now, so he is going to try and change her attitude towards him so that he can get her potion. Black books are soooo tempting right now.**

 **XInsanityXGuiltchXShadowwindX: Overwhelming Dwemer forces might work.**

 **Guest000: Honestly, the ruin is there because I hate how stupid the original vault is in my opinion. I do have a reason for how it got there apart from that but whether it gets revealed or not is up in the air. I read up to vol 20 summaries, still on the look out for the books themselves.**

 **xanothos: There are so many enemies in Skyrim that I honestly don't want to see 'corrupted by daedric lord' versions thank you very much, lurkers and seekers were enough for me.**

 **Snipa: Steam maze... I don't remember that one, Also google keeps giving me SAW II links when I look it up so that might not make it in. There will be other kinds of traps though.**

 **Rook115: Dwemer puzzles that I can remember were more about pushing buttons in the right order.**

 **deathbykitsune: Falmer will be addressed in some manor.**

 **BlitzkriegHOSS: Dwemer bodies were never found, they just vanished where they stood so sorry but unlikely.**

 **the kitty killer: I don't think I can get all those in but a few most certainly.**

 **sUbSoNiCSoundwave: Depends on what I chose to bring in.**

 **Zenog: Agreed that is going to be a part of it for sure.**

 **xenofan1: Great to hear your support, there's no such thing as 'too late' for a review.**

 **Incarnation of Insanity: Some of those will be in there.**

 **A-Non-Knee-Moose: I'm kind of pushing the space under the academy in my opinion so I don't think a Blackreach style cavern will be found but I like the idea, probably reuse it in a different form later.**

 **The Thinker: Your mind is stuck in the gutter :P. (Dove would probably make one in her cave.)**

 **TheENDstyler: I think you just described most if not all of the dangers found in Dwemer ruins, most of those are going to be in this one as well.**

 **Guest: I honestly hadn't thought of a wispmother, that would be interesting. Tristains seeing a 'ghost'.**

 **Touhou is Life: Because Dove wouldn't be caught off guard long enough for Sheo to use the giveadick spell on her.**

 **Sheogorath: (WHO ARE YOU IMPOSTOR! I WILL FIND YOU AND WHEN I DO I'LL PUT IN A TAKEN MOVIE!) I was trying to stress the poor condition of the Centurion.**

 **amimai002: Well the list of traps was from the official website so ya, that means there aren't any lava traps in Skyrim.**

 **perfectshade: True that. This even is in my opinion the make-or-break time for Louise so she will be s bit shifty in her emotions and actions. To be honest a lot of the Skyrim things thrown in are because I got tired of the things already in Halkegenia or want Dove to receive them ie weapons and armor.**

 **Me Myself and I: Dwemer ruins do have living quarters. Possibly if they can be cleared out. An entrance to and from Skyrim in the ruin? Sounds like an interesting idea. I'll have to look into Corpus.**

 **Psykotic101: I'm trying to make Dove's pregnancy as close as I can to a real one so no sudden births inside of the dungeon, sorry.**

 **Bladezzkiller: Thank you for the complement. Falmer are in most Dwemer ruins so they might show up.**

 **Diggin: I'm thinking about Dove bringing up some Skyrim history, and hence lore, but at the same time I'm trying to keep worship out of it so that Julio can't get anything on Dove. Can you think of a way to help this along?**

* * *

'Ready, go,' Dove thought excitedly as she started striding across the walkway. When she came to the center of the room Dove paused and looked between the two identical doors. The one on the left was set a little deeper into the wall while the one on the right was flush with the cavern wall.

On a whim, Dove peeked over the edge of the walkway, contemplating just dropping since, if her luck held, the room she was looking for was somewhere near the bottom. There were two other walkways sticking out of the walls below her before her sight reached the ground level.

"Which one are we going into? Or should we split up?" Dove looked up to see Julio was asking her for advice.

"Right first, then left, stay together," Dove decided quickly before pulling back away from the edge and moving forwards. Approaching the door, Dove put her hand on it before pausing and glancing behind her. The entire group was at least fifteen feet behind her for safety, as after her talk of traps they had no desire to see one up close.

"Love the confidence. It's highly unlikely that there's a trap this close to the surface unless the room is important," Dove grumbled before pulling the door open.

*FWUSH-CLACK-CLACK-CLACK-CLACK-CLACK-CLACK-CLACK-CLACK-CLACK-CLACK

Dove jumped backwards as the hidden trigger released and the spot just in front of the door was bombarded with small blow darts from hidden tubes.

'Already?' Dove asked herself as the blow darts continued to fire. 'This early into the ruin?' for some reason this only excited Dove more. She marched through the doorway as soon as the blow darts finished firing, and after a few seconds of nervous waiting the rest followed.

The room beyond the door was medium-small by dwarven standards. About fifty by sixty feet, with grey stone walls and copper colored metal work everywhere. There was a door on the left wall and a caged office immediately in front of the party. Waist high shelves made straight and orderly rows throughout the room, except where they had fallen apart and cluttered the floor. A cluster of large pipes filled one corner behind the caged off office.

"Dove, are you insane?" Louise said as soon as she caught up with her familiar, "You didn't even look to see if there was a second trap on the door. You could have been hurt."

Dove blinked at the girl's reaction before sighing. "I wouldn't have been hurt," she said placatingly, "and there are never two traps on the same trigger, it would be far too complex of a defense for a place as simple as this."

"This is simple?" Colbert asked while he tried to puzzle out how the blow dart system worked. Possibly wind magic or magicka were what he thought of as he tried to get a sense of what a Dwemer city could be like.

"Yes," Dove answered before pointing around the room, "I would guess, based on this room, that this is some kind of well used mine. This would be the office and tool supply room where the workers or slaves would gather their tools and store their belongings before work."

"The Dwemer had slaves?" Colbert asked, not liking that information.

"Yes, they enslaved their brethren the Falmer, snow elves, and blinded them so that they couldn't run away," Dove answered sadly, "After centuries of living in the dark after the Dwemer vanished, the Falmer were degraded into horrid, twisted beings that kill anything that comes near."

"Good riddance," Eleanor grumbled with Julio echoing her sentiment, one less elf in the world meant it was a better place for all.

Dove raised an eyebrow at the two of them, distain pouring off of her.

"We're not going to run into any of those, are we?" Siesta asked looking around.

Dove sighed and shook her head, she was honestly getting tired of answering these questions. No one was there to hold her hand the first time she stepped into a ruin, so why couldn't they handle it without asking a hundred questions?

"I don't think so," Dove said, "If there were any then they most likely would have either died out or attacked the academy by now." There was no way that there could be Falmer down here with the vault and no one having run into them. "Just how much of this place has been explored?" Dove asked Colbert over her shoulder.

"Not a lot, I think," the Professor answered, "This place is just something that people have known about but haven't done much with. Exploring an old and possibly dangerous hole in the ground wasn't a priority for someone from above to risk it, and then it was turned into the vault and people were ordered to leave it alone for the protection of our records."

"Meaning," Dove mussed on the important information implied by Colberts words, "that no one has looted it yet, or even fully explored." 'no one has checked for things living down here.'

"Indeed," Colbert responded, quirking an eyebrow and trying to guess where this was going.

Dove hummed to herself while appearing stoic and calm. Internally, however, a large grin was stretching itself across her face, 'LOOOOOOOTTTTTTT!' echoed through her head as images of metal ingots and gold danced through her imagination.

"For the record," Dove spoke up before marching over to the other door, "I'm keeping anything I can carry and get first pick."

Colbert sighed sadly as he realized just what might be on her mind.

-[]-

The door led to a small room, barely ten feet by fifteen, in which four circular Dwemer chests rested against the walls along with other empty shelves. Dove was on them in a heartbeat, popping open the lid of the first and rummaging around while the group was still only coming in the doorway.

"Fascinating," Colbert said, going over to one of the chests, "This latch appears to have two components to it, an interesting creation." Dove rolled her eyes. Only Colbert could see a treasure chest and be more interested in its construction than what lay inside.

Dove piled the loot from the chests in the middle of the room before quickly surveying it. Thirty-five septims, four small scraps of Dwemer metal, and two iron ingots. Dove instantly picked up the ingots and pocketed them.

"What kind of coins are these?" Eleanor asked, adjusting her glasses and examining the septim.

"They're called septims," Dove answered, "They're the coinage of Skyrim and most of the empire back home."

"Meaning that these only have value in your home land," Eleanor huffed before dropping the 'worthless' coins. Dove happily took the coins for herself before leaving the scraps to Colbert.

"I guess that's it for here, back out and let's try the next door," Dove said before following her own words, "If anyone sees an anvil and hammers, please tell me."

Pausing by the office, Dove peeked in through the bars to see a small stone table with one chair and a set of small levers built into the table itself. Pushing on the metal door, that used to be a good defense for whomever was inside, Dove found that the door was unlocked and opened with ease.

Moving in, Dove examined the trio of levers before her. The one farthest left was pushed away from her while the rest were pointed towards her. On a whim, Dove pulled the left lever towards her. The lever was rusted and hard to move, and Dove grunted a bit as she pulled on it to no avail. Letting go, Dove glared at the lever for a second before grabbing it with both hands and pulling again.

The rusty lever gave a squeal as it started to move before suddenly coming loose and snapping to the other side of the switch. As soon as the lever came to rest like its brethren, a strange hum seemed to emanate from the pipes behind her.

"What did you do?" Agnes asked as the sound unsettled her. Dove glanced at the pipes and tilted her head, narrowing her eyes and frowning in confusion.

"I don't know," she admitted, "Flipped a switch and caused something to happen."

"Well, turn it off," Agnes barked, still watching the pipe, "It sounds like something is moving."

Dove rolled her eyes and pushed the lever back towards its original position. The humming, however, didn't stop despite how easily the lever moved this time. Dove frowned as she pulled the lever back and then pushed it forwards again, this time a little harder.

*SNAP*

The lever broke off in Dove's hand, surprising the elf as she was sure she hadn't pushed it too hard. Agnes and Dove blinked at the broken lever while Colbert gave a pained moan at the thought of an old relic breaking in someone's hand.

"Well, let's hope that wasn't something important," Dove said in dry amusement before setting the broken piece on the table and leaving the office.

-[]-

Once back out to the central chamber, Dove and company marched over to the other door. As the lead adventurer, she examined this door for a trap and surprisingly found none. 'If this is the entrance to the mine, then why isn't it trapped like the office was? Was it to protect the levers or the chests?' That would indicate that the lever did something important. Dove suddenly sneezed, startling the group a bit.

"Dusty," Dove explained. The breeze had brushed her nose with dust.

Except there was no breeze underground.

Dove froze as the thought occurred to her, 'Where did a breeze come from?' She could feel the air rising from below, even though there had been no movement of air earlier. Putting out a hand, all Dove could figure out at the time was that the air was rising from below them. Deciding to put the thought in the back of her mind for now, Dove continued.

Pushing open the door, Dove was greeted by a sloped corridor with an arched ceiling and Dwemer pillars spaced throughout. The sides of the tunnels were liberally coated in pipes, the ones on the left hummed and hissed as something was pushed through it while the ones on the right whooshed as something was pulled out.

Dove eyed both uneasily since anything that was mechanical and moved in a Dwemer ruin was dangerous. Watching for traps, Dove walked down the corridor, deeper into the ground and turned the corner.

The room it led into was ruined. The right side was filled by a wide, reinforced stone arch and beyond that the stone walkway only continued for another ten feet further before ending in a natural wall. It might have been used to go deeper into the earth or into the open air before the change of realms. The open area between the doors was filled with rotten wheelbarrows piled together with old pickaxes.

Dove walked into the room, her eyes trailing along the pipe. The bronze colored tube circled around the room before turning and continuing down the tunnel. Cracks in the metal surface gave Dove her first hint at what the lever in the office had done.

A thick, purple steam or mist was spraying out of the cracks before floating lazily in the air and slowly settling on and hiding the ground below the pipe. Something about the color and density pulled at Dove's mind and filled her with dread, she just couldn't put her finger on it.

"So, this is the start of the mine you hypothesized this was, Dove," Colbert said, approaching the opening, "What kind of ore would be mined from places like this?"

Dove shrugged as she moved to pick up one of the pickaxes, "Lots. Moonstone, steel, iron, corundum, gold, malachite, orichalcum, quicksilver, ebony, and so on. They liked all kinds of metal and often had lots of it laying around." As a fellow smith, Dove loved finding Dwemer ruins for their ingots.

Deciding to hold the pickaxe in her left hand, Dove moved onwards.

The next room was large and had several peculiar Dwemer constructs built into the walls. To the right of the door was a row of pistons, hissing as half of them moved up and down while the other half were far too broken to move. The room was trashed, rubble and twisted metal shelves filled the space, creating piles up high enough that the group couldn't see over them.

Colbert frowned as he tried to imagine what the room must have looked like before the damage.

There appeared to be a walkway through the mess, about ten feet wide. It was almost suspicious how clean the path was, since only a layer of dust covered the ground between the door they had walked through. An arched spiral ramp was visible at the other end of the room.

"I guess this level was mostly the inspectors or skilled craftsmen," Dove commented, a little disappointed that there was nothing to kill.

"Maybe," Colbert said, looking around, "but I think it also was a processing plant. The room we just came through was a delivery area and this is where whatever they pulled out of the ground was stored."

Dove shrugged, "Maybe. So, the loot should be below."

"We're looking for the vault," Agnes reiterated irritably from behind the two.

"That too," Dove said easily while walking towards the arch.

The room was long, almost a hundred meters in length maybe thirty in width and forty high. Pipes, rock, boxes, and other Dwemer machines and creations lay in great piles everywhere except for in the center of the room. It was as if they had been pushed aside from where they were walking.

Dove watched the thin layer of dust in front of her as if it was a dangerous animal, it was just so unnatural in a room like this.

"Is there a trap on the ground?" Louise asked Dove, noticing where her familiar's gaze was located.

Dove shook her head. "Nooo," Dove slowly drew the word out, "It just doesn't look right. Why is this the only clear path and why is it only dust? There are mounds of rubble on either side but not here."

"Well," Colbert offered his advice, "There were others who came through here when the vault was first established, maybe there was an earth mage who cleared this path."

Dove frowned as her eyes unfocused for a second to process the idea. "Tha-"

*THwuUP* "Aak!"

Dove suddenly yelped-gasped and clasped a hand to her side as a bolt of Dwemer metal suddenly flew from one of the piles and imbedded itself in her. Agnes, Eleanor and Colbert immediately swung around to find where the bolt had come from. Julio, Louise, and Siesta all moved up to help Dove, Louise almost throwing herself right next to the baroness as if to shield her.

From their left came the sound of gears turning and some strange clicking noise. Rubble shifted and those not from Skyrim were treated to their first sight of Dwemer Spheres on the attack. Rolling, crawling, or dragging its broken body across the rubble, a large group of twelve Spheres moved towards the group.

The entire group of Dwemer creations charged as fast as their various damages would allow. The first 'wave' of spheres, the five most undamaged ones, charged over the uneven ground and bounced over unseen lips in the rubble before landing in the walkway.

Agnes fired as soon as she could, sighting in on the lead Dwemer creation in the group before unloading her shot with deadly precision. The bullet struck the lead in the head, causing it to stumble backwards for a second and lose its position as the leader, before righting itself and moving to attack again. Apparently her one shot kill against the spider was because of her hitting it in the gyro.

Eleanor thrust her wand at the group. Thinking that ganging up on one at a time would defeat them faster, she sent a barrage of rocks at the same Sphere Agnes had hit, denting the Sphere and pushing it back but not killing it.

Colbert lifted his staff, a little shakily as he thought about using fire in battle again, before seeing a danger and dodging to the side as a bolt like the one that had hit Dove cut through the air where he had stood a moment before.

The bolts were coming from two damaged Spheres that couldn't move at all that were instead firing their crossbow arms as accurately as they could from their positions. Agnes clipped her pistol to her side and drew her sword as the four Spheres bounced into the walkway around them. Two landed near Dove and those around her while the other three attacked Agnes, Eleanor and Colbert.

"YIKES!" Siesta shrieked and jumped back as one of the creations swung its bladed right arm at her, narrowly missing her as it struck sparks on the stone floor.

Dove felt her blood boil at the sound of her students near miss. Sucking in a breath she banished her pain from her mind and gathered magicka. Standing upright, Dove's left hand exploded with golden light that caused the bolt in her side to be pushed out of her body and clatter on the ground as the head out slipped out of her flesh. Dove didn't think to direct her healing towards her throat as she hissed in pain.

The elf's right hand meanwhile burst in purple light and a cold ethereal daedric blade fell into her palm. Turning on the spot, Dove stabbed at the mechanical man attacking Siesta while letting a snarl appear on her face.

"DIE!" she shouted raggedly as the blade broke the metal skin and the teeth of the blade lodged inside of the Sphere. Louise found her hands on Derf's hilt as her familiar moved to defend them. Hardening her expression, Louise drew Derf and moved to help.

"To the right!" Derf directed, bringing Louise's attention towards another Sphere that had just arrived. Louise reacted to Derf's shout and swung at the creation at the same time the Sphere swung with its arm blade and met Derf in the middle.

"LEFT!" Derf shrieked, "MOVE AROUND IT TO THE LEFT!"

Louise followed her swords instructions and moved around to the left of her opponent, getting closer to the wall of rubble and making it harder for someone to strike her from the right side. Whatever kind of magic that controlled the Sphere didn't recognize the problem this presented and swung at her again with its arm blade only to hit the wall with its far too wide strike.

Having an open chest presented to her, Louise stabbed forwards and, maybe more by luck than skill, slipped Derf in between a crack in the metal and struck something delicate inside. The Sphere collapsed, making Louise the cause of the first 'casualty' on this adventure.

"Good job," Derf said as Louise grinned at her success, "Fight smart and you'll do well. On to the next."

-[]-

Agnes waited for the one she had shot to fall into the walkway. She didn't have to wait long. As the dented Sphere landed close to her, she swung, aiming for the thinner struts holding the Sphere's body up.

The attack didn't do as much as Agnes had hoped it would. The Sphere recovered after a wobble before 'standing' upright, tilted to one side because of a new dent, but still able to swing at her. Agnes threw a high block as the Sphere tried to crush her with a heavy overhead strike before pushing back against her opponent's sword to unbalance the already tilted machine.

Since its blade was attached to the rest of its body, the push threw the Sphere back and almost onto its side instead of disarming it like it would have a normal person. Before it could recover, Agnes moved in and this time stabbed at the metal man's neck, delivering a piercing blow that got her sword lodged a third of the way into the Sphere's neck.

The Sphere shuddered and fell over a second later, pulling Agne's sword from her hand as it fell away from her. Cursing, Agnes bent to recover the trapped weapon.

-[]-

Eleanor engaged the next Sphere that hadn't attacked someone already. A little longer spell than her first raised a spear of rubble out of the ground and in the same motion, launched it at the approaching enemy.

The construct was carried by the momentum of the spear over the rubble from whence it came, only to crash against the wall where it remained in a pile of metal. Another Sphere in the first wave ignored the loss of its companion and swung at Eleanor. The blond mage tried to jump back but didn't move fast enough to completely avoid the attack and hissed as a deep cut opened on her arm.

A quick motion with her wand brought Eleanor's conjured weapon back through her new opponent, striking it in the back of the neck.

As the head broke from the rest of the body, the Sphere collapsed. Four down, two 'healthy', and six damaged to go.

Seeing Eleanor get hit and another one coming, Colbert moved over to her, drawing his staff back as he moved the short distance to her and her new attacker. Colbert stabbed forwards with his staff and hit it to draw its attention.

"Fight me, you golem!" Colbert shouted at the globe at the head of his thick staff dented the Sphere's chest plate. The metal man launched another attack at Eleanor instead of turning its attention to Colbert.

Eleanor jerked back and tripped over the uneven ground as she tried to get move room between herself and the blade.

There were many advantages to a wand over a staff. Maneuverability, and not needing a lot of space to wave it around were some great advantages in some cases, but right now all Eleanor could think of was how hard it was to cast when the enemy kept on closing the distance between them. Since it was so small and thin, her wand wouldn't block any serious attack from someone attacking from close range.

Colbert grabbed lower on his staff and cast a small amount of fire at it. Colbert's flame was small, but the intense heat and high pressure air coming from it was enough to slice most metal like paper. The Sphere finally deemed the Professor a threat when he removed it's crossbow arm with one skillful strike. Turning in place, the Sphere stabbed at the older man.

Showing more dexterity and control than he'd used in years, Colbert leaned just far enough to the side to let the creation's blade pass him by before swinging his still burning staff across his body and severing the Sphere's other arm off with a flourish.

Eleanor took her opportunity and cast another earth spear at the disarmed Sphere, this time crushing it against the wall of rubble.

"YOL!" Dove's short shout pulled their attention to her as her breath raced across the rubble, burning the Sphere she was facing and continuing past it to ignite a hidden puddle of oil located under the Sphere that had shot her.

Ripping her see-through blade out of the creation, Dove spun on one foot and delivered a crushing blow to the metal man's thick neck. Luckily, this one had a crack in the spot she struck at, causing her blade to go all the way through the head.

The next wave of Sphere's were almost to them by that point.

The rest of the Dwarven constructs were much slower than those before, they could still move but had some other kind of damage. Broken arms and missing lower struts were the most common defects among the group.

"We handled the worst Spheres," Dove suddenly called out to the group, "Let's hurry up and get these guys before moving on."

Each person in the group nodded almost to themselves before quickly readying themselves. Agnes loaded her pistol and Julio drew his sword, as the Falman had spent the first attack watching Dove and now felt the need to fight for himself. Thankfully, it looked like he would get his chance. Two damaged Spheres landed in the walkway right in front of him.

Moving swiftly, with a grace that could only come from months or years of practicing, Julio breezed forwards and thrust his blade at a bend just under the Sphere's 'chin'. A smile formed on his face as the weakness he had guessed at turned out to be real, his blade slid in and the Sphere dropped like a puppet without any strings.

Attacker number two, however, soon erased the smile on his face. It attacked Julio before he could fully draw his sword back causing Julio to let go of his sword or risk getting hit. As the Sphere raised it's blade to attack the priest again, Louise moved to his defence. Raising Derf up she blocked the attack, holding surprisingly well for a small girl.

"That's it, girly," Derf encouraged, "Move in close, your attacker has less leverage the closer you are to him."

"Got it," Louise said before sliding even closer to her opponent.

"Back up pinky!" Derf immediately corrected her action, "Get too close and you won't be able to attack back. Find a balance in your range."

While Louise was receiving directions from Derf, Dove's eyes narrowed as she apparently got tired of waiting for the slower attackers. Putting her hands up on top of the rubble, the golden eyed elf threw herself up on top of the pile while roaring a war cry, flecks of spit and blood flying from her mouth as she launched herself at the nearest Sphere.

The enemy was on the ground, dragging itself forwards, and almost couldn't protect itself from the maid as she stabbed and swung at its prone form. Reaching up with her left hand, Dove gathered a ball of glassy-white light in her palm before closing her hand and dispersing the spell across her body.

Turning her attention farther back, Dove sighted in on a sphere that was loading it's crossbow arm. Deciding that she was more upset about getting shot earlier than against the Spheres closer to the group, Dove charged that Sphere next.

The soon to be scrap pile managed to lift and fire it's bolt before the woman could cross the distance between them and force it to fall back since it was missing its sword arm. The bolt cut through air with speed a precision only to leave minimal impact on the charging woman.

Dove felt the impact and the brief annoyance of pain as the bolt poked her but kept on coming, the stone-flesh spell she had just cast saving her from greater injury. Ignoring the pain, Dove brought her blade crashing down on the creation's working right shoulder, effectively disabling it.

A quick strike was all that was needed to finish the Sphere off, prompting the raging Dove to charge the next Sphere. The rest of the people in her group seemed to leave Dove's mind as she hacked at her next damaged opponent.

Dove found herself needing something else to crush. Time stood still to the Dragonborn as she crushed her enemies, as by this point she could hardly remember how she defeated them, only that they died and she wasn't satisfied.

'Too weak!' a voice hissed in Dove's head as she sought more.

"Dove, they're gone."

Dove jerked a bit, like someone half-awake coming to full attention, and looked around. She was standing over the body of the other 'dead' Sphere.

"Dove. Are you alright?" The voice was Louise, Dove realized, before shaking her head.

'Stupid, why didn't I recognize her voice outright?'

"Fine," Dove growled. She was physically, her throat was the only exception, but she didn't feel...satisfied. In fact, she felt like she had energy that she needed to burn or explode from.

"Search the bodies," Dove suppressed the feeling for now, "I call the gems."

* * *

 **Wow that was hard to write.**

 **I had to move during the middle of the chapter and it completely threw me off for a bit.**

 **Anyway, I still accept trap or enemy suggestions up until the end of this ruin so keep them coming.**


	55. I wonder whats this red button do?

**"Welcome to Author's head," Creeper said gesturing around.**

 **The room you were in now was a rather large stage with two seats.**

 **"In here Author and Snipern0sniping debate what happens next in I will summon a dragon," Your impromptu tour guide said gesturing around, "In the next room over you'll find the room where they discuss Nidame Kyuubi."**

 **"Look," You say, "I just want to find where teddykins is and put him back where he belongs."**

 **Creeper frowned, "that means going back through the 'I don't own Familiar of Zero or Skyrim' part of the mind and believe me, that place is a mess. Strange voices, shifting realities, used monkey shower water, twinky wrappers, You'll get lost in there without a guide."**

 **you frown, "what happens if I get lost?"**

 **Creeper shivered and rubbed her arms as she remembered the last person to try and find their way around the mind, "You become part of the mind."**

* * *

 **So, I up loaded the last chapter when the email notification system on Fanfiction was down so if you haven't read the last chapter I would recommend you go back one.**

* * *

 **: I just finished fighting the forge master and am very tempted to put a mechanical monster in here so a dragon might show up but no promises.**

 **Blackholelord: I moved houses and had to resettle.**

 **VulpineSnow: I think that Julio would try and kill any elves he was aware of unless ordered not to so that won't be too much of an issue.**

 **TheENDstyler: The church does think, it just thinks in how to better itself while leaving out those that are 'undesirable'.**

 **Plasma Dragon 312: Thank you for reading and giving your input over the chapters.**

 **RedBurningDragon: I haven't descended into madness, check out the opening to the chapters, I live madness in my head.**

 **Touhou is Life: Forge master Nuff said.**

 **Guest: I'm acctually thinking of mechanical monsters like the Numidium but on a much smaller scale.**

 **Guest: Chaurus queen sounds interesting, years in their pods mutated the Chaurus perhaps?**

 **Ripclaw52: Dove doesn't want to be a dominating person, she likes a simple self sufficient life style but keeps ending up in situations that won't let her live like that. One thing Dove did first off was show just how frightening she could be when angered in chapter 3 so there hasn't been any abuse from the pinky. Her 'taking crap' is mostly her suppressing her dragon nature but it's building and her days of obeying and following orders will end at the right time.**

 **Rook115: She isn't Kleptomanic. She just likes shiny and powerful things and takes them off the corpses of those who can no longer defend them. On their own a lot of Skyrims traps are only dangerous to the unwary but used in tandem... its a different story.**

 **XSDStitch: I think Dove would give Julio one just to get rid of him at this point.**

 **the kitty killer: Colbert and a runed lexicon. That sounds like a rather interesting love story in my opinion. How funny do you think it would be if he finds one and it's full of designs for weapons of mass destruction?**

* * *

Gathering the loot from the fallen enemies into a sizable pile, the group stood in a small circle to decide how to split it.

The defeated Spheres had collectively contained: five common soul gems, six petty soul gems, four rubies, six sapphires, one emerald, one moonstone ingot, a pile of broken struts and dented Dwemer plates (large and small), and fifty-five septims.

"So, we have eleven of those worthless gems that you want," Eleanor started, summing up the pile to Dove, "Eleven valuable gems that you don't want, one strange ingot that you do want, and fifty-five useless coins only you want."

"So I get everything of value," Dove said happily while glancing around the group.

"I would like to examine some of these gems," Colbert rebutted, picking up two of the petty soul gems. He had never seen a pink or purple gem of such color, it might be cloudy but the uniqueness of the gem more than made up for the cloudiness.

Dove hummed. "I have never seen one get examined like a proper gem stone before. You can take two of those if you want." Dove raised a hand, "However, I would suggest you be very cautious while examining them since they can contain energy."

Colbert jerked up in excitement at that bit of information. "They can contain energy? Magical energy or light energy? Or is it-"

"Ask your questions later," Agnes cut in, "We've only covered one level in here and we still need to get to the vault." Dove gave her a look, part annoyance and part grateful as she didn't want to answer Colbert's question with Julio standing next to him.

She felt a little bad at how she had been avoiding Colbert's questions so often. Seeing how interested he was in the Dwemer ruin around them, she had decided to be a bit more open with him as soon as Julio was out of sight.

"We can talk while we walk," Dove informed Colbert, to which he nodded happily.

"I'll take the coins," Agnes said, picking up the gold.

"Aw," Dove groaned, disappointed at the loss of free money.

Agnes shook her head at the pouting woman, "You got all of them earlier, don't be greedy."

"May I have some?" Julio asked, "I would love to add them to my collection."

'And see if I can learn anything about Dove's home from them.' If he could get an understanding of Doves homeland then understanding her would be a lot easier. Agnes passed him about half before pushing the broken Sphere parts to one side.

"We'll pick those up on the way back," she said, looking at the Professor's distressed expression. Colbert breathed in relief.

Dove pocketed the moonstone and stood up to continue, "The next level should be the bulk of the mine." She commented thoughtfully, "There will most likely be a lot of Spiders with only a few Spheres and traps. Everybody ready?"

"Does anyone have a spare cloth?" Eleanor asked while slipping a few of the other gems into her own pockets. "I need to dress this." She held her arm up to show where the Sphere had cut her.

"Hold on," Dove said as she walked over and reached out towards the injury. Eleanor pulled back from the woman.

"What are you doing?" she demanded from the woman she didn't like.

"Healing you, now let me see your arm," Dove said, reaching again for Eleanor.

"I think I'd rather bleed out," Eleanor stated calmly while glaring at the baroness.

"Don't the two of you dare start fighting again," Agnes said, putting herself in between the two women. Quickly reaching out, Agnes grabbed Eleanor's arm and let out a burst of healing magicka. "There, now you two have nothing to fight about," she snapped while Dove grinned in pride.

Eleanor pulled her arm back and rubbed the affected area. There was a small scar but that was it, no pain.

"Dove," Agnes turned towards the woman, "Is there anything we need to know about Dwemer mines? Do they have a regimented design or similar building schematics?"

"No two Dwemer ruins are alike," Dove responded, "There can be a million design differences between ones separated by only a few miles, but there are always going to be Spiders, Spheres, Centurions, and traps in them, possibly Falmer if they survived, but we've already covered why that's unlikely."

Agnes nodded, going over the information. "So we just need to press on and search every room for the vault," she decided. "There's no way of knowing where it's located in here."

"Best guess is that it's on the bottom level," Colbert spoke up, "The mages who came before would have wanted it to be somewhere safe, so the bottom-most level would be the best location."

"It usually is," Dove agreed dryly, part of her wished that the world would cut her a break and have her explore a ruin that had everything of value next to the front door but~ nope. "Well," Dove clapped her hands together, "let's go see if we're right."

The arched ramp at the end of the room they had fought in went down at a smooth angle before flattening out into a landing and turning to the left to continue down again. Thankfully, the end of this ramp was in sight.

For some reason, ramps made Dove nervous.

The first room they came to was as large as the one at the top of the ramp at over a hundred meters long by thirty meters wide, but it was shorter possibly ten meters high. Also, unlike the one above, the room wasn't full of rubble. It was almost completely empty, with bars on one wall separating rows and rows of pipe from the rest of the room.

There wasn't a lot of light in this room as the only illumination came from gas lamps that were set next to the door on the far side of the room. The pipes hissed darkly as something flowed through them adding to the oppressive atmosphere.

"I don't like this room," Siesta suddenly said, eyeing the pipes and shadowed corners of the room. "It feels like some dark hole you never find your way out of." Dove looked at the girl. She was biting her lip and rubbing her upper arms, making it obvious that she wasn't trained to be in places like this.

"You do remember that are in a dark hole and there is a very credible threat of us not making out of here without losing life or limb, right?" Dove asked pointedly, despite how much it made Siesta shiver.

"I remember," Siesta defended, "It's just now sinking in is all."

"Just remember, stay with the group, don't approach statues, don't pull levers, and we'll make it out," Dove instructed, laying down some extra guidelines.

"What about the one you broke on the first level?" Eleanor asked pointedly.

"I'm still kicking myself about that since I still don't know what it did," Dove answered easily as she started leading them into the room.

*Clack*

Dove stepped backwards immediately as the distinctive sound of a pressure plate reached her ears, but was too slow. Less than a second later, a burst of fire lit up the area as five pillars of flame burst from the nearly invisible flagstone in front of her. Throwing up her arms, Dove felt the fire lick up her forearms and knew that a bit more than just her dress was on fire.

Siesta screamed as, from her perspective, Dove was engulfed in a blazing inferno. Agnes froze in horror, not feeling the tug on her shoulders as someone took her cloak. She couldn't believe this was happening again.

Dove fell back onto her butt before rolling to smother the fire on her clothes and skin.

"YOOOUCH-OWWWW!" Dove screamed as the pain in her arms and legs registered.

"WATER!" Louise screamed and flailed uselessly as she tried to figure out what to do, "ELEANOR! Do you have any water spells?!"

Eleanor quickly shook her head, unsure of what to do without water or loose dirt.

Colbert moved as soon as Dove fell back out of the fire. In a second, he was by Agnes' side and removing the cloak from the stunned captain's shoulders before charging to the downed woman. Throwing the cloak over Dove, Colbert started smothering the flames as quickly as he could.

After the flames died down, Colbert pulled the cloak off the moaning Dove to see how badly she was burned.

The front of Dove's dress was burnt, her apron and dress burned away to the point that Colbert could see Dove's legs through what was left of the cloth. There were burns on her legs with the worst at knee, thigh, and toe level.

A lot of Dove's torso and face had escaped the fire because her arms had been thrown up in the path of the flame, but her sleeves were completely gone past the elbow and the burns on her hands were just horrible.

Louise and Siesta paled as they saw Dove's hands. They were either covered in dark pink, red, even black looking scabs or already forming blisters.

"I need to some water," Colbert ordered the others, "Does anyone have a clean cloth I could use?"

"No need," Dove groaned as she spoke through the pain. Surprised by her words, the group looked down on her Dove. Painfully, Dove forced her hands closed, gathered her magicka, and then opened them wide.

Golden light flowed up her arms and down her body, searching out every injury found across her form and causing them to fade and close. Her blisters seemed to deflate back into her skin and a healthy, but rather pale, color returned to her complexion. More importantly to Dove the pain washed away, allowing her to let out a relieved sigh and sit up.

"Dove, don't move," Louise ordered in an overly worried tone. "We don't know how much you're healed."

"I'm fine," Dove said, standing up before looking down at her destroyed clothes and still red skin. All the black spots on her skin were gone, but it wasn't all back to as it was before she had triggered the trap. "I think I need to replace this soon," she spoke out loud as she ignored the tender -cooked- feeling in her arms, "hope we run across some armor down here."

"You're rather calm for someone who just had third degree burns," Julio commented, hoping to start a conversation.

Dove just waved him off, "It's happened often enough that I don't care." That sentence caused visible distress to Louise. "Although," Dove added as an afterthought, "I don't usually get caught in this kind of trap anymore. I think you guys are just bad luck. Or are a distraction. Or both." Most the group couldn't tell if she was joking or not, and her nonchalance worried them.

"Anyway," Dove continued, "Now that we know what kind of trap we are facing, I know how to get around it. Colbert, I will need some light." Dove had never learned Magelight and was now regretting it.

The Professor used magic to make his staff into a never-ending torch and followed Dove as she stood up and walked towards the trapped floor. "Look for a design," she told them, "There will be a carving on the floor where the safe path is."

"This really inconveniences those who just want to use the walkway," Eleanor said thoughtfully.

"There's most likely a switch on the other side to turn it off," Dove commented without looking up from the floor. "Found it," she said, pointing down at a geometric glyph on a plate to the right of the entryway.

"Looks rather small, are you sure?" Colbert asked uneasily, only Agnes beat him in desire to not see anyone get burned down here. Without answering, Dove walked onto the pressure plate, causing a moment of panic before relieved calm returned.

"I'm sure," Dove said over her shoulder, "Follow me and don't step on a plate that I haven't already stepped on."

Falling into a nervous line behind the elf like ducklings in a house of cats, the company quickly make their way through a windy trail of safe plates. Straight, left four, right two, right three, left, the path quickly confused those who weren't watching the ground intently.

Fortunately for their nerves, once the trick to the path was found, they could get through it quickly.

"And here's the switch to turn off the trap," Dove announced, pointing towards a switch on the wall in the next room. The room they had come into was, in Colbert's opinion, breathtaking. It looked like someone had blended the natural stone in the ground and beautiful stone buildings with pathways throughout.

The rough ceiling was about level with the roof of a second story building, and where they came out was a wide building with an open second floor lit by bright yellow fire peeking out of some vents lining their walls.

The walls of the cavern stretched for over a hundred meters both to the left and right, long abandoned Dwemer work stations lining the wall they had just walked out of. The rest of the cavern was mostly black stone with random patches of glowing mushrooms illuminating the open area.

The other wall across the almost oval shaped cavern was over two hundred meters away and had two different tunnel openings visible on it. One of the possible exits was a stone doorway where the door had apparently rotted away, while the other was a dark hole in the wall that a pair of pipes ran into. What drew Dove's eyes, however, was the many subtle and different colors on the ground, indications of a variety of different ores to be found under the thin layer of black rock.

"I think I'm in love," Dove sighed, looking at the natural half of the cavern.

"Me to," Colbert confirmed, looking back at the developed half of the cavern.

Agnes rolled her eyes. "Which way should we go?" she mused, considering their options.

"The one with the pipes running into it," Dove answered, pulling out a pick axe and walking over to an ore vein.

Agnes looked at that tunnel and frowned, "Why?"

"Because," *Crack*, "It's the," *Crack*, "one most likely to," *Crack*, "go down," *Crack*, "to the next," *Crack*, "Level," *Crack*, "notice that it already goes down," Dove said while digging at the ebony ore vein.

Agnes ignored the woman's mining while Julio watched her intently, and squinted at the tunnel again before shaking her head, "Let's try it."

Dove quickly pocketed her ore and led the way. It, kind of sad to admit, took a phenomenal amount of self-control for Dove to prevent herself from stopping at every vein of ore she spotted on the way. She hoped the others appreciated just how hard it was.

The chosen tunnel wasn't all that exciting, just a large hole with a flat bottom leading down. The pipes hugged the wall on the right-hand side, going down and disappearing into the dark.

"We'll need more torches," Eleanor commented to Colbert.

Colbert created his fire and Dove sighed. "Should have learned that spell," Dove grumbled, looking towards the light.

"What spell?" Julio asked.

"Magelight," Dove answered carelessly, "Creates a ball of light without any fire and can be summoned independently. I just never learned it since it wasn't in my chosen schools of magicka."

"Oh~," Julio was intrigued, did it use fire and air? Had to if it created light from the holy magic.

Agnes nodded without paying them any attention and continuing forwards. The tunnel went down and down, it was much steeper than any of the tunnels the group had journeyed through before, plus the light from Colbert's torch caused a deep contrast making it a little difficult to spot changes in the ground.

"So," Colbert asked Dove, "If the top level was administration, and this level is most likely to be refining, processing or mining, where do you think this tunnel would lead to?"

"Probably a barracks or living quarters," Dove answered before putting a little more thought into it, "Or, judging by the poor condition of the tunnel, an old slave pen."

"Slave pen?" Colbert asked askance before remembering, "You mentioned the, ah, Falmer, correct? They were slaves to the Dwemer, they were kept in places like this?"

"Yes," Dove sighed, "The story is rather long and very sad, basically the snow elves were fighting against the nords, humans living in Skyrim. They were losing, so they went to their cousins, the Dwemer, for help. The Dwemer agreed to shelter them on the terms that they ate a particular mushroom that took away their eyesight and became their slaves."

"Sounds like elves can be just as monstrous to each other as they are to regular people," Julio commented from behind them. "It's a miracle they haven't killed themselves off in your lands if they turn on each other like that," he said with perfect casualness, waiting for a reaction.

"People can be monstrous, that's one of the things that make them people," Dove answered back, "I can think of a few recent examples of monsters in human flesh, but that doesn't mean I can call all humans evil."

"Of course not," Julio answered with a smile. "I'm sure there are a lot more good humans than bad ones, it's just such a shame the opposite is true for the elves."

Unnoticed by the rest, Louise winced and waited for the elf to kill him.

Dove looked at him coldly, mentally creating images of him skewered and frozen into a certain glacier instead of the mammoth back in the Pale.

"I'm of the opinion that both humans and elves are just people," Dove said in an arctic tone, "With just as many problems and bad apples as anyone else."

"Agree to disagree," Julio said easily. Her views on elves were interesting to say the least.

Dove glared at him a bit longer before noticing that the ground was leveling out. "Looks like the tunnel is ending," she said to the rest.

The tunnel did end in a slightly larger space, not quite a room, but a larger section of tunnel with a metal double door set into the wall. The pipes went through the wall. Reaching towards the handle, Dove was surprised to receive a tiny shock of magicka from the door.

"You alright?" Agnes asked when Dove jumped a little bit.

"Fine, just wasn't expecting that. Don't know what it was," 'just like the lever,' Dove answered before turning the handle and pushing the wide doors open.

The room beyond was different than what Dove had expected it to be. It was dark and dank, but instead of the natural rock they had been traveling through there were walls made from large blocks of white stone, each one was almost twenty feet across as if the Dwemer had tried to make an entire all section from one stone instead of their usual grand but square cobble.

Another thing that surprised Dove was the smell. As soon as the door opened the entire group was engulfed in the pungent smell of rotting hay. It was like an entire warehouse of the stuff had been left in here over a hot and humid summer and they were only now finding it.

The room stretched off into the black, making it impossible for Colbert's light to show them anymore than the walls up to thirty feet away to the left and right. What they could see was a short hall way before a sudden widening that reflected nothing back.

"Do we really have to go in there?" Siesta asked nervously, the sudden sight of light going into complete black was enough to unnerve her.

"Only if it leads to Agnes' vault," Dove answered before shaking her head and sighing, "We'll only know if it does by going in, so sorry, but yes."

"Let's move," Agnes ordered, her commanding voice steeling both herself and the group.

Following the wall, Dove scanned the edge of where the light reached out around her as she walked deeper into the cavern. It occasionally showed columns as they passed but didn't reach any other walls. The room had apparently opened into a large space, leaving them blind as to what the dimensions of the room were except for the one wall they were walking along.

"How large is this place?" asked Louise as she walked very close to her elder sister's side.

"Probably not as big as we think," Dove answered, looking around, "The dark can play tricks on people's minds, making things appear deeper than they are. The Dwemer didn't often build large rooms, they let nature build the large caverns and then filled them with their buildings. There should be a corner soon."

Silence reigned after that as the party kept on walking. True to Dove's words, they found a ninety-degree corner that led off to the left. "What's that?" Colbert asked, pointing at a pipe on one of the nearby pillars, a red circle about chest high was on it.

"A wheel, it might turn on the lights," Dove answered, going towards it. Grabbing one side, Dove turned the wheel and waited for something to happen.

As soon as the wheel came to a complete stop, there was a low whooshing sound and a crackle. Some distance away light burst into existence as gas lamps ignited. In the now revealed center of the room was a large chandelier of dwarven metal and gas lamps that gave the entire room a warm glow allowing Colbert to extinguish his torch.

The light was the only thing warm about the rest of the room. The room was large and square with large steps leading down to a lower section of floor and a ceiling that mirrored the floor, the stone making up the room was as pale as cleaned bone.

Stone pillars about twenty meters away from the wall were spaced about every ten feet lining the room just before the first lowered step and wide arch ways set into the middle of the walls around the room led off into other dark rooms.

Getting curious, Dove and the rest of the party moved closer to peek down the first step and see what was down there. Dove froze in fear while the rest of the party blinked in confusion as they saw a rapidly thinning pool of purple mist. As the mist vanished, it revealed large piles of rotting straw that littered the steps all the way down to the lowered section.

What had Dove paling quickly was the large number of pale figures she at first could only glimpse but were now getting clearer as the mist 'drained' from the space that lay in the piles of straw, as white as snow against the almost black straw.

"Falmer," Dove hissed quietly, eyeing the forms. The experienced members of the group tensed in preparation while those still learning gasped and shivered in fear. Colbert was the first to move. He, ignoring the frightened voices whispering to get back, stealthily moved towards the edge to get a closer look.

"I think they're dead," he called back quietly after watching the forms for a minute.

"I don't think so," Dove answered back. Her head was sandwiched between her hands as she mentally berated herself for being so stupid, "I think that purple stuff was Miasma."

"What is Miasma?" Eleanor tensely asked while Colbert went back to observing the nearest prone figure, trying to spot signs of life.

"I encountered this only once before," Dove started her story, "It's a gas produced by some cultists back in Skyrim. It puts those that it effects under a deep sleep. The sleep is so deep that it literally slows down aging and allows them to sleep for centuries."

Dove shivered as she remembered Orcmer forms in similar circumstances as the Falmer were now, "Side effects from prolonged exposure will include brain damage, to the point of losing one's mind entirely, so no one except for those cultists would dare use it."

Leaving out mentions of the Daedrics was a lot harder than Dove had originally thought it would be. 'Hold on,' another thought occurred to Dove, 'Did the Dwemer use this stuff often? Could that have helped the Falmer become what they are today?'

"Are they going to wake up?" Agnes asked, eyeing the bodies.

"In the temple where I encountered the gas before, all someone needed to do to wake up those who were affected by the Miasma was remove it from the air disturb them," Dove answered back, "So be quiet if you can and w-"

*BRIIIIINNNNNNGGGGG!*

Some Daedra must be having fun at Dove's expense. ( ;P )

As the last of the miasma vanished into a grate set into the lower floor, a strange noise suddenly pierced the room and caused the party to take a collective breath of shock and fear. An echo alerted the party to the fact that the other dark rooms were being filled with the same sound.

Dove was already moving before the sound of the first groan from the pit finished echoing. This room contained at least thirty waking Falmer, and there were at least three others that were waking up at the same time. This required careful handling and a decisive plan. As such, Dove chose to perform a strategic retreat.

"Move it, we might be able to barricade the tunnel door," Dove barked over her shoulder, before mentally adding 'And pray there isn't another way out of these rooms.'

The rest of the group was on her heels before she had taken another five steps, and the groans behind them had turned into howls.

* * *

 **"I really should clear the intruder out of my head," Snipern0sniping mussed from where he/she sat. The control room for the story was a small dark room with blue and purple curtains hiding the walls and a comfortable Ikea chair set in the middle of it.**

 **"Why am describing my mind?" Snipern0sniping wondered bouncing a little as it thought before shrugging.**

 **"Doesn't matter, So what do ya think? Everyone and their grandmother wanted Falmer and I finally figured out how to add them, hope you're happy." With that Snipern0sniping waves to the crowd and vanishes.**


	56. Flown the coop

**Standing in the shadows, you look out over a bare waste land.**

 **"Welcome to the 'I don't own Familiar of Zero or Skyrim' part of the mind," Creeper said gesturing grandly, "Try not to die."**

* * *

 **VulpineSnow: True, this review has actually inspired a good portion of this chapter, basically I thing that Dove has been almost too nice to him.**

 **RedBurningDragon: Thanks for the missed grammar points.**

 **Kalomin: I am tempted to put in a forge master but also think that's too hard, so maybe a centurion or three. :)**

 **helkil: Unfortunatly I can't write more romance with Dove in the ruin away from her, but afterwards there will be romance waiting. Snipern0sniping has an n but you spelled it correctly apart from that, and no I haven't, I'll have to check out that story.**

 **the kitty killer: I really don't want to know how you ship that. The Miasma was basically my way of getting the Falmer there and fitting them in in a way that made a bit of (convoluted) sense.**

 **sirmoocowthethird: Possibly, :P.**

 **Telron: *runs into tazer set at crotch height* don't try and infiltrate my mind or I'll stick you in one of the rooms of broken story ideas. ;)**

 **Guest: Because they're tragic and cool.**

 **enXSDStitch: I'm foreseeing possible futures: I see a library with books, and julio holding one that contains evil** **tentacle** **hentai. It just might happen.**

 **Touhou is Life: Is that a church-gay comment or a church-elf comment?**

 **Blackholelord: No, I asked what they wanted and the answer was a resounding "FALMER!" I'm glad that I surprised you.**

 **TheENDstyler: Thanks, (Take a guess, I hit Snip over the head once) I plan on having a lot of Falmer, more then they can handle so they need to get in and out fast.**

 **dspendragon125: Yup, so I hurt him.**

 **Guest: Here it is.**

 **spook: I read you name as Spock the first time. I haven't forgotten, just thought that the Falmer would be hard enough if they're in large numbers.**

 **Engineer4Ever: Yes she did, and there will be more afterwards.**

* * *

Dove faced a dilemma. The door to the chamber of awakening Falmer opened inward, meaning that there was no easy way to lock the door from out here and there would soon be Falmer trying to follow them.

"Can you barricade the door?" Julio asked, his voice a pitch higher than usual.

"If it opened the other way, then maybe I could wedge it," Dove answered, "Or if someone had some rope. Does anyone have some rope or cloth stronger than a section of my burnt dress? I might be able to tie the handles closed."

Colbert quickly removed his leather belt and handed it to Dove, who gladly took it.

"This won't hold them for long," the elf summarized as she looped the belt to the door handles. "There might also be other exits to other places in the mine, so we need to get out of here quickly."

"Can't we just kill them all?" Julio asked worriedly, "I mean, they can't be fully awake and are probably rather weak and disoriented from being under the sleeping gas for so long, we might be able to get them all if we try."

Dove snorted as she finished securing the belt, "Falmer are tough, they have survived worse things than a rushed group of adventurers turned exterminators." Dove pulled back from the door and started going back up the rough tunnel.

"They're just elves," Julio reasoned, following her up the tunnel, "They can't be too hard to kill if we can get them before they call upon their magic."

"Excuse me?" Dove asked, affronted and confused by the priest's words, "What does that mean?"

"That elves are much weaker than mages," Julio explained with exaggerated slowness, "Brimir himself was able to kill half of them in the land with a single spell years ago, and even then, he had been interrupted while casting the spell. So why shouldn't we be able to kill these half-awake elves now?"

Dove took a deep breath as this little fact worked its way into her mind. 'A spell that killed half of the elves and was only cast part way,' her mind reiterated, 'What was the spell supposed to do? Who interrupted it?'

She glanced over her shoulder at the calm looking priest. 'Would he know the answers or will he give me a boat load of church doctrine that I'll have to dig through?' Dove sighed and shook her head, 'Not worth it.'

"Let's find what we came for and get out of here," she said over her shoulder, trying to shake off the unsettling feeling his words had left her with, "If we hurry, we won't run into too many Falmer."

The group stood still for a moment as they tried to figure out whether they should follow the maid, go back to the academy and hide under their beds, or lead the charge against the discovered elven threat like the man of god had suggested.

A loud bang on the door as someone on the other side tried to force it open made their decision for them.

* * *

"So, let's go down the other tunnel now," Dove said as they arrived back in the room they had come from before. She was off again a second later, not letting anyone object to the plan.

The room through the stone door way was a lot like the one they had already come through. It had a natural section and a building built into it. The natural cavern was about as large as the one before and was roughly shaped like a thick crescent moon, with a stream of water running through it from a hole in the ceiling, the stream cut across the room and disappeared down a hole in the ground.

The building in the room was smaller than before, with a circular shape with stations arrayed around a small room that had a smooth stone floor and a large lever set in the center. There were no other ways out of the room apart from the front entrance that the group could see.

"Great," Eleanor groaned, "How are we supposed to find the vault now? The only unexplored rooms are full of elves." She said elves like it was something that had crawled out of the mud.

"I think the way down is over there," Dove said, pointing to the construction and ignoring the comment on elves.

"How?" Julio asked, "It's just a small room with a lever and you said we shouldn't pull levers."

"I've seen levers like that one before," Dove answered, "When you pull on them, the floor around it goes up or down, taking you to other levels."

"Interesting," Colbert said, thoughtfully trying to figure out why it was there. "Maybe it was used to move heavy materials from one level to the next, that is if it could lift heavy items. Do you know its upper carrying capacity by chance?"

Dove followed about sixty percent of what Colbert had said. "Um," she thought out loud, "I've seen ones like it carry me and three others all in heavy armor without any signs of stress if that's what you're asking."

"Interesting," Colbert exclaimed, getting a closer look at the edges of the small room, trying to figure out how it moved.

"Let's just hurry along," Dove said before walking into the small room. Eleanor and Julio followed close on her heels as they just wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. When all the party was in the unusual room, Dove pulled the lever.

-[]-

As Dove expected, a loud base whoosh sounded and the floor descended into the ground.

"This thing is a lot slower than the other ones I've used before," Dove commented as what used to be the floor slowly slid passed them. "The other ones I've been on just moved me hundreds of meters underground in what looked like a dark flash."

"How does that work?" Eleanor asked.

"I don't quite know," Dove answered, "It's just what happens. I pull the lever, there's a noise, and everything goes dark. When my vision returns, I'm deep underground."

The ground kept on slowly passing the group by. It was rather boring, standing there waiting for the rock to inch past them, especially after the running away from the Falmer had gotten their heart rates up.

In fact, the slow-moving contraption only gave time for the parties worry to grow and fester.

'How long until the Falmer break through the door above? Will we need to fight our way out? Will there be Falmer waiting for us below?' Such thoughts kept on intruding in on the frightened and stressed adventurers as they sunk into the ground.

'Does the church know what spell Brimir used to kill half of the elves back then?' one asked herself, 'Would they willingly use it again?'

-[]-

"About time," Eleanor growled when an opening could finally be seen appearing above the edge of the floor.

Dove put her aside own thoughts to kneel and glanced through the widening crack, trying to get a view of the room before they were completely exposed to anything that might be waiting.

The room they were being lowered into had almost completely natural walls and ceiling, except for the short tower they were standing in, a broken cobblestone path, and metal roof supports.

The cavern was smaller than the one above it and was squarer in shape. The room was about fifty feet wide by fifty feet long and forty feet high. The moving floor they stood on was situated partially into the wall and facing the only exit.

Unlike the rest of the caverns, this one looked like a true mine. The roof was supported by beams of metal every twenty feet or so, and the tunnel across from them was rather wide. A lot of digging had been done, with stopes carved into the walls making it hard to see too far down the winding path.

As they finally came to a stop, the entire group tried to get off at the same time. "I think I'd rather take the stairs then one of those things again," Agnes said, "If we can find some." That slow thing had stretched her patience far more than anything else she could think of.

"The others I've been on were a lot faster," Dove reiterated, "Those moved people from the surface to very deep underground, maybe this one moved heavier things and so moves slower."

"It doesn't matter either way," Agnes said, shaking her head before nodding to Dove, "We need to get moving, we don't want to be here long enough to find more Falmer."

Dove nodded and then glanced around. "Is anyone else willing to go first?" Dove asked, "I've already been shot and lit on fire so far, and I'm not too keen on taking the lead."

"But you're the expert," Eleanor said snidely, "We wouldn't know what to look out for to spot the traps."

Dove glared at her before grabbing Julio by the shoulder. "I reserve the right to use the priest as a meat shield," Dove said with a dead serious expression.

"Can't," Agnes argued, pulling on the surprised and nervous priest's other shoulder to get him out of her grip. "Take the lead miss expert," she added to get them moving.

Dove pouted but started walking.

"You know," Julio started with a look of confusion and interest as he dogged Dove's heels, "those Falmer looked a lot like goblins. Do all elves look like that in your homeland?"

Dove shook her head as she reached the entrance to the tunnel. "No," she denied, annoyance and frustration showing in her voice, "Remember? Earlier I said that they became degraded by living in the dark for so many generations."

"I must have forgotten," Julio said lightly with an easy smile.

"Well, for your information, Mer are physically like any other humanoid being, except for small differences like pointed ears, narrow faces, skin tone, or are naturally a bit smaller or taller. The most unique looking Mer are the Orcmer, who have a larger lower jaw and are almost all taller and more muscular with green skin," Dove informed her fellow adventurer.

Julio hummed and nodded as if he had been reassured, "They still sound a lot like goblins to me, especially now that I know what Orcmer look like."

'He would,' Dove thought in answer to her questions as she took in Julio's expression. The look on the priest's face was half confirmation and half disgust, he would use the spell if he could.

Dove was fed up.

Julio was passable in small doses, but being stuck down here with him this past hour had been terrible. The little fact about the elven population being halved had frightened and deeply concerned her, the slow elevator had sucked up her patience, and his dismissal of the Mer was the last straw.

"You can take your views on Mer and shove them up your ass," Dove said, starting her words in a calm tone of voice that rapidly lost its cool. The party blinked and looked at her in surprise as the baroness grew noticeably darker with every word.

"In fact, you can fuck off for all I care!" Dove said as a hot flash burned her veins, she could almost feel it as her eyes started to turn golden. "Mer are people just like any nord, imperial or redguard. I can think of thirty Mer that I would love to have here with me instead of Hi viingnu, jusknu, joor aar! Agoor draaf stain like you!" (You wingless, clawless, mortal servant! I have no need of a burning shit stain like you!)

Julio just raised an eyebrow, cataloging this unique response, in the wake of Dove's wrath.

Dove felt like she was on fire, the need to kill the boy in front of her consuming her thoughts before she clamped down on the feeling and charged down the tunnel without stopping.

"WULD NAH KEST!" The shout caused her to blur forwards startling the group before they could stop her.

"DOVE, Wait!" Louise called after the quickly disappearing form of her familiar.

"Miss Bosquet, get back here!" Agnes shouted, but her orders fell on uncaring ears as Dove quickly vanished into the twists and turns of the tunnel ahead.

For a moment, the group just stood there looking in the direction that their resident Dwemer expert had vanished, then the panic started.

"We're all going to die," Siesta stated trembling. Eleanor sniffed disdainfully, not wanting to show how scared she was at losing the baroness.

Louise, however, was angry. "Why did you have to be so insensitive to her?" Louise asked the church's representative, her face a mask of cold fury. "Her homeland is full of elves, they are an everyday sight for her, and you have been nothing but a rude in-her-face ass about what you think should be done about them all!"

Julio was surprised by the potent anger Louise was leveling at him. 'Where had this rage come from?' he wondered. Most of what he was saying was simply church history and facts, she had to have at least heard of the church's stance on elves before.

Louise huffed and looked away, honestly disgusted with him. What Julio hadn't known was that Louise had come to respect Dove's views, even if they were different than her own. It simply boiled down to the fact that Dove was willing to let Louise believe the church of Brimir without comment and yet this 'falman' was pushing his opinions on her.

In Louise's opinion, Dove was more than justified with shouting and leaving them to get away from Julio. The flash of gold she had spotted in her familiar's eyes were testament as to how far Julio had pushed her.

"Elves are monsters," Julio said, starting his counter argument with the worst three words he could. "They killed Brimir."

"Yet the elves down here and all the ones from Skyrim have never even heard of Brimir," Louise pointed out. "Every word you said only painted you and the church as rude jerks to her, at the very least, and more than likely as genocidal monsters."

Julio just stood there contemplating that, his actions in wake of coming face to face with those white elves might not have endeared himself to her. He frowned as he tried to figure that out. Baroness Bosquet had acted like anyone else would, having discovered elves within a mile radius of them, fear and quickly running in the other direction, but the pointy eared monsters were common where she was from?

'Then why had she been afraid of them?' he thought. It honestly didn't occur to him that Dove might be afraid because of their rabid Miasma-induced state.

"Either way," Agnes growled irritably, "Thanks to you, we've just lost our expert. If anyone wants to go back now before the tunnels above possibly fill with Falmer, I would understand, but if you're staying then we need to follow her." She paused and looked around for anyone who wanted to go back, "If not, then we need to go."

No one wanted to leave the group, so they all continued onwards.

* * *

Dove's path was not easy to follow. The path split in two only fifty meters after it left the room, leaving them at a loss as to where she had gone.

"Any guess which way she went?" Colbert asked, trying to look down each hall. Both were dark, but the one on the right appeared to go up.

"We'll try the left path first," Agnes stated, turning and starting down the chosen path.

*Fwoosh*

"GAAAHH!"

They had chosen the correct path apparently, as the other one was soon flooding with white, blind elves. Several of them wielded bows while the rest were armed with swords that looked like they were made from some disturbingly large insect carapace. An inhuman snarl burst from the sickly-looking creature's throats as they somehow focused in on where to attack.

"RUN!" Agnes shouted to the terrified party before raising her pistol and taking her first shot. Her attack hit one of the Falmer in the shoulder, causing it to drop its bow. She turned and started running after her companions.

In the lead was Eleanor, wand out and trying to scan for danger while running. Next up was Louise and Siesta, both of whom were running as fast as their frightened feet could carry them, followed by Colbert who was helping Julio along.

-[]-

Somewhere deeper into the cavern, Dove paused mid step, for some reason she suddenly felt content, like something satisfying had happened.

-[]-

"Can't we go a little slower?" Julio groaned. The surprise attack from the pair of blind elven archers had hit him in the shoulder. From a medical standpoint, the wound was superficial, with the arrow being stopped by the shoulder blade, making it only a flesh wound, but that knowledge did little to ease the pain in his upper torso.

"It didn't hit your legs," Agnes bit out, "and they're right behind us, so no."

Julio groaned again but kept on running.

The path was almost a blur to Eleanor as she tried to guess at the right path. So far, the trail had been twisty and branching with the longest stretch of straight path having only been twenty meters.

Choosing which path they took was hard, but Eleanor quickly figured out foolproof a system: she followed the light. Most of the branches they passed on the path probably went off after veins of ore and hence didn't require light because the labor was already blind. So, the paths with light were for the Dwemer. They probably only needed to be on this level to access rooms that they worked in, like the vault.

So, following the lighted trails it was.

They ran to the left, to the right, right again, and left again, trying to go at breakneck speeds despite the sharp turns slowing them down. Up ahead was the beginning of a straight path that had Eleanor worried, even if she had only seen it once she recognized the track in the center as one that had spinning blades in it.

Not only was there a trap, but the over fifty-meter-long path way had suddenly gained a hard, square stone floor and high vaulted ceiling that would allow any Falmer to use their bows again.

"Keep moving," Eleanor almost jumped as Professor Colbert's voice spoke up from behind her, "Keep on moving as fast as you can, but be prepared to drop to the floor in case Dove didn't disarm the trap when she came through."

Eleanor wanted to huff as she thought about the likelihood of Dove having made their way safe after her temper tantrum but couldn't afford to waste the breath and instead automatically obeyed Colbert's surprisingly authoritative voice.

Sprinting forwards, Eleanor managed to put some distance between herself and the group just in case that if the trap sprung, it sprung on her and not anyone else. Getting the necessary distance between herself and her quickly tiring sister, Eleanor sent a quick prayer to Brimir and crossed over the front end of the trap blades rail system.

Maybe she didn't trigger it, or maybe Dove had disabled it, but either way there was no whoosh of metal or painful sliced-in-half death for her as she ran down the hallway. Behind her, the elves rounded the corner, those with bows drew arrows and started fitting them to their strings while those with blades just kept on running forwards, at most only fifteen meters behind Agnes.

"Look for the lever!" Colbert shouted as he pulled harder on Julio's side and tried to go faster.

Eleanor quickly looked around for it before spotting the lever on the wall and darting over. Pausing, she waited for Agnes to pass her before throwing it.

The blades popped up out from the ground and started swinging. The Falmer immediately behind Agnes skidded as they heard the trap and tried to turn a hundred and eighty degrees in a second. The lead group wasn't fast enough and before they could even begin to slow down were sliced cleanly in half and fell into pools of blood.

Siesta was immediately sick, emptying all her last meal on the floor, horror written across her face. Even though they had been howling for her blood a moment ago, she truly hadn't wanted to their blood spilled across the ground.

The rest of the party was split between gulping back their own sick or staring in disgusted shock.

*Swish Clink*

Arrows started raining down on the adventurers from the elves on the far side of the trap.

"We need to get moving again," Agnes said, pulling herself out of her shock and taking command of the party. She quickly headed them down the path out of bow shot.

"Do you know where to go?" Eleanor asked half-heartedly to Agnes.

"Not really," the musketeer answered, "but I figure that if we follow the light then it will lead us to a place that would require light, like the vault."

Eleanor nodded, not up to discussing it with the captain and wanting to get out of range of the bow elves as soon as possible.

-[]-

No one spoke as they walked. It was probably the relief of escaping the Falmer, but everyone had a thoughtful look on their faces instead of a relived one. Agnes was leading them, keeping her eyes out for the traps to let the others think.

"Do you think Dove had moments like this?" Siesta asked, breaking the silence.

"Moments like what?" Louise inquired for clarification, "When an entire group of elves died in front of her, or quietly walking through an underground hallway?"

"Both, really," Siesta answered quietly, "I mean, I think I'll have nightmares for weeks after seeing those elves die like that, but do you think Dove ever saw something similar? Did she watch a group of people die and then just be left with only her thoughts?"

"Elves aren't people," Julio said resolutely while wincing from the pain in his shoulder.

"Just shut up," the entire group said in sync. In their opinion, it was somewhere in between three quarters to entirely Julio's fault that Dove had left them and that was what led them to being possibly lost down here.

Louise groaned before thinking about what Siesta had asked. "I don't know," she finally decided, "She never told me any stories about people dying in her homeland. Most of her tales were about how beautiful the sky was or an impressive building she had found, not about death."

Agnes spoke up, "I've heard miss Bosquet say that death was a common occurrence in Skyrim. The fact that she didn't focus on it could be her way of looking past it."

The group thought about that for a moment, imagining the brutal land that had created the Falmer and the Dwemer traps.

"Not trying to be a bother," Julio spoke up in the silence, "but could you please remove the arrow wound in my shoulder? It kind of hurts."

"Quiet," Louise growled and looked at him, "If you hadn't been such a jerk before, then Dove would be here and you wouldn't have been shot. So, I suggest you go back to being silent and don't bother us."

Julio frowned as one of his best sources of information about Dove closed herself off from him. His plan for Dove's future would continue, but this adventure had turned into a setback instead of the boost he had wanted.

"Did Dove talk to you about Dwemer ruins?" Agnes asked Louise, "If there is anything else that she told you that might help us then I would like to hear it."

Louise shook her head. "They were dark and full of things that attacked her," she shrugged, "the only fact that I don't think she covered is that the Dwemer just vanished one day. They literally disappeared like they had turned into dust on the spot or something."

"Is that going to happen to us?" Siesta asked, more than a little frightened. The more she learned about this place, the more she regretted coming down here.

"No," Louise said confidently, "Dove mentioned something about mishandling some kind of powerful scrolls or maybe a battle that was going on when they vanished, and since neither of those are happening I think we'll be safe."

"So, we just need to find the vault and get out of here," Eleanor said, getting a nod from Agnes and thoughtful look from Colbert.

"We've already gone down two levels," the older man stated, remembering the first main room. "There was the level we entered on and then the two we journeyed down. I guess that leaves the bottom most level as the only place where the vault could be located."

"Then where were the doors leading to the other walk ways?" Eleanor asked, "Did we miss them?"

Colbert nodded, "Maybe they were in the buildings that we didn't search on the level where we found the Falmer, it's not like we were able to scour that level or even visit all of this one because of the elves."

"We just need to find the stairs now," Agnes said in agreement with the professor's assessment. "Then we'll find what we're looking for."

"Do you think we'll catch up to Dove at the vault?" Siesta asked. It had felt safer with her there.

"Maybe," Agnes answered confidently before looking forwards down the trail, "We just have to find that vault."

* * *

 **"DANG IT!" Snipern0sniping shouted thumping its hand on the armrest, "that arrow was supposed to hit Julio either in the crotch or neck. Hate his guts."**

 **"So," Snipern0sniping continued thoughtfully, "Dove's on her own, maybe I can have her run into ###### now. So many choices."**

 **"Either way, see ya."**


	57. The vault

**"Hi, Snipern0sniping doesn't own Familiar of zero or Skyrim."** **Julio said into a microphone before sitting back in his chair.**

 **"Not that I mind," the priest said looking at the screen showing the control room, "but why are you having me record this message? weren't you going to have that intruder run into various things in your mind that say it anyways?"**

 **"Oh, I was," Snipern0sniping answered waving it's hand, "but now I have a better idea. I'm going to relieve my stress by killing you over and over again to the sound of that recording, thus killing two literal birds with one stone."**

 **Julio blinked, '"wait, wha-"**

 **Before the sentence was out of his mouth, the rockets under the chair he was sitting on ignited. One second Julio was on the ground, the next he shot up in a cork screw and embedded his head into the ceiling.**

 **"Thank you angle beats," Snipern0sniping said watching the replay in slow motion, "You truly have inspired me today."**

* * *

 **Touhou is Life: You are, Healing hands is a apprentice level healing spell that Dove tough to Agnes.**

 **mephistopheless: Simply put, Julio is to important to Romalia for any direct "I was too slow," kinds of death and too good a fighter to get axed off any other way so far even if I hate him.**

 **Akshka: He did, just not one as permanent as we all wanted.**

 **xCanaan: I loved leaving them in the dark but at the same time, most of them are too emotionally strong to cave just from being left behind. Panic will set in once the ***** engage.**

 **From Russia: Most Falmer poison is from Chaurus insects and since there aren't any down there this time the poison will unfortunately be almost** **negligible.**

 **ficttionelement777: I know, but he was running away at the time and the archers were blind.**

 **Rook115: Yes it would.**

 **hunter81095: No they wouldn't.**

 **helkil: I think she might. If she isn't pregnant from the first time then she probably will be as soon as she gets back to the surface ;).**

 **Memento Mori - The Truth: Maybe, maybe not.**

 **islamy96: Dove gets back to them and kicks the guard's a** of course. :P**

 **Telron: recklessly passing through wall between you and the control room* "oh, look Alma," A young girls voice suddenly catches your interest before continuing in a much darker tone,** **"A little play mate has wandered into our play house!"**

 **Turning around you find two little girls, One was a punk-gothic lolita with spiky blue hair and dark gray skin, black stigmata across her forehead.**

 **The second was even younger, her black hair was limp and tattered but her orange eyes burned from under it's veil. Her red dress was thread bare and dirty but it was the blood coating her bare feet and dripping from her fingers that stood out the most on her.**

 **Deciding not to hang around, you sprint at the wall with the intent to fade through. *SLAM* instead you crash into the suddenly unfazable wall.**

 **"Now that was rude," the Noah of dreams said with a pout, "You're not going anywhere until we've had our fun."**

 **Guest000: I'm sorry to say that I don't think that that is in the cards.**

 **RedBurningDragon: I don't know how to respond to that, what do you mean by 'don't be a neptune'?**

 **Guy passing buy: I think that Julio would still be a priest even if he took an arrow to the knee.**

 **TheENDstyler: I read in the summary that there was such a spell and it was used by Brimir on the elves and was interrupted by a minor stabbing in the gut but it was a summary, until I find the book I'll be cautious about using events too far ahead.**

 **XSDStitch: I don't think he learned the entire lesson yet, and that will give me more time to 'play' with him.**

 **Guest: Here it is.**

 **Incarnation of Insanity: Thank you. I want to bring Mora in, I just don't think it would work right now. If one of his books is found it would be in a library somewhere, he would sneakily add it to the shelves before waiting for someone to pick it up and dragging them through.**

 **Z.R. Stein: Thank you for Pming with me and helping me know what I did wrong in the past.**

 **VulpineSnow: I might be stealing a line or two from your Breton Archmage if that is how he talks.**

 **falloutfan158: While that would be interesting I don't think there are any left apart from Knight-Paladin Gelebor, any that lived in the Dwemer cities were blinded and already on the path to becoming Falmer years ago.**

 **GGFBank: Nope, he would still be a priest and a pain in the rear, he would just be slower about it.**

* * *

"HAHA!" Dove laughed out loud, blissfully digging through chests of loot.

-[]-

After leaving the group and running through tunnel after tunnel, Dove had slowed down before coming to a stop in a tall, circular, room. Glancing around, she decided that she was at the bottom of the first room they had entered, the bottom of with had three ways out of it including the one she had just come from.

Take a moment to think, Dove looked back and forth between her choices. The other two path ways both had light, so they had an equal chance of leading somewhere good, or bad with the Falmer hanging around.

Dove could also see an anvil on the wall in the corner. Smirking to herself, Dove jogged over. The woman then pulled out the iron ingots she had picked up at the beginning of this adventure and hefted one of the hammers. A little while later, she had a small pile of rough lock picks ready for use.

Next, she decided to take the right fork since most people are inclined to go right, after all. It led her down a short flight of stairs and into a short hall with two doors in it, all of which had been locked.

After deftly picking the lock on the first door with her new picks, Dove was overjoyed to find that the room beyond was an armory. The elf had almost danced when she saw bits and pieces of steel, Dwemer, leather, ebony, and banded iron armor littering the shelves.

The armory was a decently sized rectangular room. At most, this room could hold the arms and armor for a squad of soldiers, meaning that maybe this place wasn't a very important work site. However, since Dove was all alone, that meant there was plenty of armor for her to dig through.

Twelve chests that were more than likely filled with epic armor loot lined the walls between shelves of armor. At the end of the room was an unlit forge and the largest of the chests. All in all, this room was obviously built to hold the guard's armor and the tools to repair it if needed.

Just the kind of room Dove loved to find.

The first thing she did after entering was go to the largest chest and disable the trap wire she found attached to it before digging through it for loot. Inside were over three-hundred septims, all well and good, an amulet to zenithar, four Dwemer swords, two one-handed blades, another two two-handed ones, and a full set of Dwemer armor from helmet to boots. Quickly pulling off her damaged clothes, Dove quickly walked around to the other chests and poked her head in to see what was left.

The twelve other chests had not been spared the ravages of time like the largest had. The two closest to the door had iron armor that was so rusted that Dove was certain she could break it in her hands. The rest of the chests contained parts of armor sets, including four sets of steel gauntlets and boots, three ebony helmets, three iron maces, and over ten Dwemer swords.

The ones that had the least amount of corrosion and destruction from time were the chests of Dwemer armor, which contained over four complete armor sets. Apart from the armor, there were five potions of healing, three of Magicka and one, surprisingly, potion of invisibility. Dove pocketed the health and magicka potions but weighed the invisibility one in her hand. She didn't often use invisibility, but she valued how rare the ingredients to make it were.

Where was she supposed to find things like vampire dust and crimson Nirnroot, or even normal Nirnroot out here?

Dove put the invisibility potion into a secure pouch. Maybe she could find some ingredients that worked like the ones back home, but until then she would just have to hang on to this thirty second disappearing-act-in-a-bottle.

The jack pot for Dove, however, was the last chest in the row. The Dwemer guard who owned this chest years ago must have had style, because inside was a pair of Daedric gauntlets and a helm to match. This is what truly brought a laugh from the elf and gleam to her eye. A low hum emanated from the wicked looking gloves when she picked them up, indicating that they were enchanted, so she immediately chose them for her outfit and made a mental reminder to figure out what kind of enchantment was on them.

Going back to the largest chest, Dove pulled on the bulky Dwemer plate before sliding on the much slimmer Daedric gauntlets and helm. She chose to add a pair of ebony boots to finish. Picking up a thick one handed Dwemer sword, Dove slid it into the prebuilt scabbard.

Dove knew that she looked slightly ridiculous with how mismatched her armor was, but didn't care. She wore the Dwemer armor because it was the only one currently still in one full piece, but with what she had already mined in the first room, she was going to change that as soon as she could.

For now, she just had to get through this ruin with the gathered ore.

Back in the hall, Dove picked the lock on the door across from the armory. It led into a small, square room that branched out on all sides into small sleeping rooms with stone beds with chests beside them.

A quick search brought up nothing that hadn't rotted away. Ruined books, something that might have been jerky, and metal cutlery, all junk of course. One room was more refined than the others and only had two beds in the circular room. The small chest in here had a lexicon of all things, glowing runes flickering along its sides.

"Colbert would probably love to figure you out," Dove commented as she hefted the small square of invaluable Dwemer knowledge. Hopefully it didn't have Elder scroll knowledge, she would have to check for that before giving it to him.

Returning to the hall, Dove went back the way she came until she reached the fork in the large room and went the other way this time.

The path beyond was rather different than the rest of the ruin in Dove's opinion. There were more artificial lanterns and the air got a lot hotter very quickly. Rounding a corner, Dove paused as she took in the path just ahead.

The light from the Dwemer gas pipes just cut off after a point, and the last lantern was right at the corner of the hall. It left this span of hall in almost complete dark. Up ahead, Dove could see a red light reflecting off the wall of the next corner, giving the corridor an unsettling glow.

Dove stopped part way into the hall, at the edge of the light from the lamps. The red glow was about twenty meters ahead and around the bend, giving the area a red color that made her uneasy.

It invoked mental images of some of the more interesting realms of Oblivion, causing an unwelcome shudder to pass through her.

Taking a breath, Dove steeled herself and marched towards the bend.

Rounding the corner, Dove found herself looking out across a large void in the ground. The ceiling had vanished above and a large chasm extended into the darkness. In front of her was a bridge that crossed the chasm and went right up to the door of a large building built into the far wall.

The face of the building was impressive, with the 'roof' jutting out of the wall. It was pointed, like a thick stone triangle, and supported by six raised pillars. Words were carved into the lintel that even from across the walkway were clearly visible.

To reach the door, someone wanting entrance would have to walk up a small flight of stairs to reach the raised front of the building.

It looked rather different than other Dwemer construction, as it was most certainly newer than the rest of the structure she had passed on the way here. The stone was white and seemed to be all in one piece, unlike the Dwemer gray made from square blocks. At least the roof and columns would have been white if the light source was clear instead of unholy red, it simply wasn't like any Dwemer building Dove had seen.

The bridge across to the chasm was obviously a Dwemer creation. It was made from two thick metal poles spanning the gorge, with repeating grate and stone sections all the way across the magma river.

Oh, yeah, by the way, the light came from a literal river of magma slowing making its way under the bridge. It looked a bit like the lake that was behind the aetherium forge where she had encountered the Forgemaster.

Dove sometimes hated her luck, but at the same time, there was no denying the tingle of excitement that passed through her as she looked over the path to the vault.

Taking a deep breath, Dove started walking across the hot bridge.

* * *

Eleanor and Agnes led the group through tunnels that almost seemed boring compared to the ones they had already passed through. There had been stray pickaxes and piles of rubble every now and then, piled where they had fallen who knows how long ago.

Nothing of interest happened until they found a large room that Colbert recognized. "I think we're in the chamber we first entered in," he said, looking up towards the dim ceiling.

The rest followed his gaze and could just barely see the walkways they had passed over when they first entered.

"We still never found how to get to those," Julio commented, trying to puzzle out where they could lead.

"If you want," Eleanor said dryly, "We can leave you here to look around."

"No, I'm fine," Julio quickly refuted before adding in a hurt tone, "Well, apart from the arrow head stuck in my shoulder that no one has looked at."

"I'll get it out of your shoulder after we find the vault," Agnes said, getting tired of Julio's voice.

"Thank you," the Falman replied gratefully but with a miffed tone at it taking this long for medical help. "Let's hurry then," Julio encouraged, moving a bit faster.

"Hey, look at that," Colbert said as soon as he spotted a small work station. The company looked at the spot on the wall in confusion. They could see a small forge, but there didn't appear to be anything particularly interesting about it.

Colbert walked up to the workplace as they tried to figure out what he had seen.

"It's warm," Colbert explained, pointing at a small pile of coals, "Maybe Dove came this way."

The party paused to check.

"It might be the Falmer," Eleanor suggested.

"Let's just hope it isn't," Agnes responded before pushing them forwards, "We're not at the end yet, keep going."

The party resumed moving through the large chasm like room, looking for where to go next. Like Dove, they encountered the two possible doorways that forked off to the right and left. Since both ways were lit, there was a bit of confusion as to which way they should go.

"I want a map," Louise sighed. She was tired, physically and mentally, from walking around in here.

"I want a quick way out," Siesta added in complete agreement with the pink haired mage.

"I think we should take the right path first," Agnes said authoritatively before the group could start complaining. One of the most important things to do in a situation like this was to keep moving, even if it turned out to have been in the wrong direction.

There was no reason they couldn't start exploring with the right path, so they went down it. Colbert eagerly moved onwards, hoping to find the lost maid. The rest followed behind him just as eagerly in the hopes of getting though.

* * *

In the end, it was a bit disappointing to find the already looted bedrooms and armory.

"Well, at least Dove has better protection," Louise commented, looking at the wadded up and discarded dress and the pile of leftover armor.

Eleanor huffed, "She shouldn't have left her dress behind. Armor needs a layer between the plates and the skin to avoid rubbing." She prayed that the aggravating baroness got a rash as annoying as she was. She had gotten over her feelings of respect towards Dove, returning to her normal disdain.

"Looks like there's an intermediary layer of padding built into the armor," Colbert pointed out, looking over the Dwemer plate. He was trying to understand how it was put together and causing Eleanor to sigh in disappointment while he was at it.

"It doesn't look like there's anything of worth here apart from the remaining armor," Agnes said, tapping a piece as she tried to guess if it was stronger than her own plate. "It's too heavy for us to carry all of it back right now. Let's take a small piece and test on that later."

Following her orders, Colbert picked up a helmet that looked like a smiling face while Agnes picked up some gauntlets.

"Let's go back." Dead ends were such a disappointment.

-[]-

Taking the left-hand path this time, the party looked ahead for Dove. "Is it just me," Eleanor spoke after a bit as she started fanning herself, "Or is it getting hotter down here?" The party looked around and waved their hands slowly through the air as they tried to feel the temperature around them.

"I think so," Colbert said thoughtfully, "What could be causing the air to get warmer?"

As a fire mage, he hadn't spent much time learning about the earth, although he had heard some say that there were mountains that sprayed hot rock into the air from somewhere below. 'Maybe we're near an area that has hot rocks,' Colbert hypothesized to himself before sharing his thoughts.

"How hot can the rocks get?" Louise asked, putting her hand on a wall in several locations to try and feel a change in temperature.

"Some say that there are places so hot that the rock melts," Colbert replied with a note of disbelief.

"You don't think they're telling the truth?" Eleanor asked, picking up on the doubt in his voice.

"I haven't seen it happen myself, and those who say they have are often people who have traveled to the point where they also claim to have seen mermaids and heffalumps," Colbert explained, "They might have made it up to increase their reputations around the taverns."

-[]-

Moving on, the party soon came around the same bend to the spot where Dove had paused at the edge of the Dwemer light and the beginning of the dark.

"This doesn't look frightening at all," Julio said, practicing his understatement abilities.

"It's just a little bit of darkness," Agnes replied, marching forwards past the light.

"It's not the darkness that's scary," Siesta argued, "It's the red light up ahead."

"Fine, I'll go ahead first," Agnes said to Siesta and moved ahead to check around the bend before the others reached it.

The party watched as Agnes smoothly stalked up to just before the bend, her silhouette giving them a good view of where she was, and then step out to look down the hall around the bend.

"I think you need to rethink your belief in molten stone, professor," Agnes called back, a tone of awe and worry in her voice.

Colbert moved ahead to join Agnes while the rest moved at a much slower pace to catch up.

"Unbelievable," Colbert gasped, looking at the river of liquid stone. Never in all his life had Colbert seen such a sight, the cherry red and orange river in front of him was both frightening and fascinating like many things he had seen down here.

The rest of the party didn't share his fascination.

"Is that safe?" Siesta asked, trembling and sweating. "What if it breaks from old age?"

"Then we have a quick and painful death," Agnes responded, forcing her voice to be calm but blunt, "I don't think that it will break, however. Remember that Dove had to come this way before us, so it stands to reason that we won't fall through if she's wearing heavy armor."

"That and her own weight," Eleanor grumbled.

"But she works out more than you do, big sis," Louise defended her familiar in the manner that she felt Dove would defend herself, "Wouldn't that mean that she weighs less than you do?"

"I didn't ask for your opinion, and when did you start mimicking her?" Eleanor snapped at her sister before adding, "I work out often, thank you very much."

"Either way," Agnes continued after letting the two bicker for a moment, "We should cross this one at a time, I'll go first."

No one disagreed with the guinea pi- musketeer captain. Standing back, the group watched as Agnes strode forward. She looked so confident, marching onto a grate over a river of burning death. If they could see her face, they would have noticed her panicked breathing.

Most of her sweat wasn't from the hot air almost scalding her.

But, credit to the Dwemer who built it, Agnes made it safely across the old bridge to the other side. "It's safe!" the woman called back to the other side, "There wasn't even a single groan from rust or weakness that I could feel."

Encouraged by this, Louise sucked in a breath and surprised the rest by jogging forwards.

"LOUISE, GET BACK HERE!" Eleanor shouted after her sister in surprised fear.

Louise, being the dutiful teenager she was, didn't even look back as she defied her sister's authoritative shout. Unlike the musketeer, Louise had complete confidence in the bridge, but she moved quickly either way as her shoes weren't clad in metal like Agnes and she soon felt the heat just below her through them.

Eleanor was next as she going to give that disrespectful little shrimp a taste of her own hot temper. The older woman paused at the beginning of the bridge before sucking in a breath and lightly jogging across it before her nerve broke.

Immediately upon arriving on the other side, she started berating Louise who took it in silence.

Louise had felt something grow in her as she disobeyed her sister, something she couldn't quite identify but that made her feel proud and strong.

Siesta eyed the bridge next. "Will you come with me?" she nervously asked Julio, who was the smallest one left on their side of the bridge, apart from her. "I don't think I'll make it alone."

Julio gave a flourishing bow, "Of course, what kind of a gentleman would I be if I didn't escort young women from time to time?"

Siesta giggled at his over the top tone and actions, it helped take her mind off the bridge. Julio held out his arm and the two quickly crossed the chasm. As they arrived, Siesta let out a gasp of relief and Julio moved over to the captain.

"Can I get this healed now?" he asked gingerly, tapping his shoulder.

Agnes rolled her eyes at him. A resounding thought of 'wimp' occurred to all three women paying attention, but Agnes did finally give in and move to heal him.

"EOUHCH!" Julio screamed as Agnes pulled the arrow out before exhaling when she applied the healing touch.

"Judging by the heat I could feel rising up," Colbert started thinking out loud as soon as he arrived on the other side, "we wouldn't have died painfully from a dip in that river. I believe that the river is hot enough that if we had fallen we would have been dead or so badly burned that we wouldn't have felt any pain. A very interesting idea."

Pausing in his excited musing, Colbert noticed no one else seemed to share his interest in the thing they had just crossed, in fact Agnes was glaring at him for his comments. "So uh, So, this is it?" he asked changing the topic by looking at the vault. It looked like a temple in his eyes, to be honest.

"Yes, I think so," Agnes answered, looking away from the thoughtless professor's comments to take in the object of her search.

"I'm surprised," Julio stated, bringing up something odd in his opinion, "I would have thought that it would look more, shall I say, Dwemer-ish?"

"It does look like something a mage would build," Colbert said thoughtfully, "Maybe the front has been rebuilt by the mages who created the magical filing and storage system, but there has to have been a Dwemer building here before that for there to be a bridge all the way down here."

"So, a Dwemer building that mages from Tristian added onto to create the vault," Eleanor summed up what they were looking at before frowning and adding in a worried tone, "Would that interfere with any Dwemer traps or defenders that might have been set up?"

"We'll find out when we get inside," Agnes decided, marching towards the double doors.

"Wait up," Colbert called out commandingly, "There's a warning above the door, we should read that."

Agnes pulled herself up short and glanced up to check what Colbert had said. Sure enough, there was a large warning carved into the mantel above the door.

"The alteration, destruction, or removal of documents, as well as the use of magic, is forbidden. Those who fail to abide will encounter a catastrophe," Agnes read out loud.

"I think we should be careful in here," Colbert said seriously, "Shouldn't be too hard to abide by those ruled."

"It's probably just a threat made up to scare people into not damaging what's inside," Eleanor dismissed with a huff, not taking any of the warning to heart.

"Threats in a place like this should not be taken lightly," Colbert argued just as Agnes opened her mouth to say the same. "So far," Colbert continued, "we have seen elves, Metal constructs, traps of various kinds, and we have only visited, at most, a third of this area. Do not dismiss this warning out of hand Miss Valliere."

Eleanor flushed a bit at the chastisement. "Alright," she muttered in response.

-[]-

The room beyond the double doors was any Halkarigain bibliophiles' dream. The book shelves started within ten paces of the doors and stretched out, almost vanishing into the dark room until it reached the far wall and the stairs leading up to another level.

The room was about a hundred meters wide and seventy meters deep, the walls were lined with bookshelves, and twenty tall rows of shelves towered over their heads. A balcony and another wall of bookshelves added another level for one to look down on the main floor.

"This place is beautiful," Colbert said in loving awe.

"This place is large and dark," Agnes countered, "The information we're looking for is only twenty years old, so it shouldn't be too far deep in here, let's search."

The party nodded and started picking random spots on the shelves for searching.

"Dungletale case," a distorted but vaguely familiar voice interrupted the search before it could truly start. Turning around, Agnes leveled her pistol at the balcony where the voice had come from.

She was pulled up short by what looked like a diabolically horned demon in Dwemer armor sitting at the top of the shadowy stairs, a book held loosely in its hands.

Fortunately for the 'demon', she spoke again and the voice was a bit easier to understand, "I think you're looking for this one, right Agnes?"

"Miss Bosquet, is that you?" Agnes asked the figure.

"Yup," Dove answered before standing up and pulling off her helmet. "You were looking for this, right?" she asked again before walking down the stairs and handing the book over to Agnes.

"The Dungletale case," Agnes reread the title to be sure, "Yes, thank you for this." She truly meant it, she was thankful beyond words, the gratitude shining from her eyes before returning to the book.

"Not a problem," Dove replied nonchalantly before looking around to the others. "Hi Louise, Siesta, Colbert. I found something you might like to see, professor," she said happily, completely ignoring Eleanor and Julio.

Colbert perked up at Dove's words while Eleanor frowned and Julio smiled. "What kind of thing?" Colbert asked, moving forwards.

"A Dwemer runed lexicon and the room that can translate it," Dove explained, anticipating Colbert's next question.

"What's a lexicon?" Colbert inquired, just like Dove thought he would.

"Let me show you," she said, pulling on the professor's arm towards one of the corners, "This way."

Agnes watched them move off before sitting down and opening the book detailing the orders to have her village and family burned to death and started reading.

-[]-

Dove pulled Colbert towards the back of the room, talking excitedly on the way. "So, this room was built over a Animonculory, or Dwemer cathedral," Dove explained a little too quickly for Colbert to fully understand, "Fortunately, that means we can use it to read the lexicon."

"What do you mean cathedral?" Colbert asked, "I thought the people of Skyrim worshiped these Daedra and Aedra. Are we going to into a place that worships one of those?"

"No," Dove shook her head, still excited to show this place to Colbert, "The Dwemer seemed to worship knowledge and logic, or at least they put such an emphasis on knowledge that most just say they worship it." They hadn't even worshiped Hermaeus Mora as far as anyone could tell.

"Either way, the only way nowadays to access their vast knowledge is using what we call the 'oculory' in 'cathedrals' to translate 'runed lexicons' that somehow hold entire libraries of knowledge on cubes that are so small they can fit in your hands."

Colbert looked very interested in that. "And you found one?" he asked, starting to get as excited as Dove.

"Yes," Dove answered, "It was in one of the bed rooms. Come on, I'll show you. It's back here."

Dwemer used books and such to record information, but their lexicons were where they put the vast amount of their information and most of their translations from the Elder scrolls.

When Dove had first found the room, she had immediately used it to see if the lexicon had any knowledge from the scrolls on it. Fortunately, it didn't. Instead, it appeared to almost be a journal from a Dwemer scholar named Nchylbar.

In the far corner of the room was a stone doorway. Unlike the rest of the room, it was obviously Dwemer made and led into a large spherical room with a large sphere filling most of it.

"Welcome to the cathedral," Dove said, gesturing around the squished feeling room. "At the top is where I put the lexicon," she continued before leading the way around the sphere.

"Remarkable," Colbert breathed as he walked around to a ramp and up onto a landing that had a glass floor.

"I know," Dove replied, continuing up the ramp onto a little raised platform.

In front of them was a set of three buttons and a pillar with a glowing cube on top. "All we need to do is wait for it to translate the lexicon into our language and we can read it," Dove explained. "From what I could translate, it's a scholarly journal. It might contain anything from detailed schematics to some of their latest works before they vanished."

"Interesting," Colbert said calmly while internally squealing like a kid who just got the coolest present under the tree.

* * *

 **Suggestion on how Julio dies next chapter are welcome!**


	58. Run run run as fast as you can

**"Hi, This story is owned by Snipern0sniping, the two stories it's based on are not."**

 **Julio sighed and leaned back from the microphone.**

 **"Great news," Snipern0sniping's voice came in over the overhead speaker, "We're done recording for today."**

 **"Great," Julio said standing up and stretching. "Do I need to come back tomorrow?" he asked looking at the camera with a rather odd looking red eye-like design.**

 **"No, you don't," Snipern0sniping assured the priest. "I do have one last thing that you need to do before you can leave however," the omnipotent being said, "if it's not too much of a bother."**

 **"As long as I get paid," Julio said with a smile.**

 **"You will, I also hear there is cake after the short tests," Snipern0sniping said, "I'll just hand you over to the voice in my head that is in charge of science."**

 **"Hello, Mr Priest," a more mechanical woman's voice started up, "and again welcome to the aperture science computer aided enrichment center. We hope you're brief detention in the relaxation vault has been a pleasant one."**

 **"Detention vault?" Julio asked looking around. The room had changed somehow, it now held a strange glass covered bed and a toilet.**

 **"You're specimen has been processesed and we are now ready to start the test proper. Before we start however, keep in mind that although fun, and learning, are the primary goals of all apature center activities. Serious injuries may or may not ocur, for your own safety, and the safety of others, please refrain from-~WHOSRSHHHHHHHHHHH."**

 **The voice cut out and suddenly a glowing orange hole apeared on the wall.**

 **"I guess the rest of the instructions weren't important," Julio decided and walked through the hole, "This shouldn't take too long."**

* * *

 **Holy S**t.**

 **A lot of people seem to hate Julio.**

 **To keep from making this response over three K long, I'll have to give proper answer to those not detailing ways to destroy the religious failure.**

 **Oubliette, Dodles, the kity killer, Madness Beyond, Shikkokuakushintei, feral creature, mephistopheless, , adhityapratama1990, the bolt guard, Incarnation of Insanity, Zanpaktospirit0, Guy passing by, moriensDei, Mysterioustgexpert, Boyzilla, Akashic Records: shamwoohoo52, Kurarin-san, CrimsonAngel13, L0v3r, XSDStitch, ULTRAMARINE59, grey, hunter81095, Million Arthur The Yuri King, Writing Gunner, Guest, Zero Entertainment, Danget the critic, alexc123, sinnerlust, The Gravrobber, random reader, antgigi4, A-Non-Knee-Moose, VHSMelody, pedrofaria339, darkromdemon, Cyclinity, snoogenz, sUbSoNiCSoundwave, Artyom-Dreizehn, ForgottenGrimiore, JDS62, Hell Fire:**

 **You all have overwhelmed me with your suggestions. Some are close to what I have planned. What I would like to have you all know is this, I plan on keeping Julio alive for a bit longer. This is for those asking if he dies next chapter, he doesn't but he is dying soon. I hate him, I want him dead, and I console myself by reiterating this simple fact, Julio will not live past the war with Albion.  He will most likely die before Dove leaves to fight.**

 **Telron: Road raises an eyebrow, "Steel?" Dancing, stripped candles appear, "try tortured dreams."**

 **Alma for her part glared, for some reason this caused a yellow fog to fill your vision and black tentacles to uncoil themselves from this air around you. _"ready or not,"_ a child's voice echoed in your head.**

 **Touhou is Life: True that.**

 **VulpineSnow: It doesn't take too long for Eleanor to screw them over, They might not get to read the lexicon just yet.**

 **Blackholelord: Its dwemer plate which is made from Dwemer ingots, it's a rather circular explanation. Boots are ebony and you've already mentioned the daedric.**

 **Akshka: I will always make more. NEVER ENDING STORRYYYYy~!**

 **Engineer4Ever: I know, The next one is the end.**

 **RedBurningDragon: I love the smithing mods I added, so I wanted to at least have her make something. The ore Dove has picked up will make great armor.**

 **TheENDstyler: Great.**

 **Carre: I just might have to have Dove visit the Greybeards now. A threesome is possible, but I think that Dove is too clingy for her to share Tabitha. There's no reason not to have Tiffania. Ragnar the Red will be sung.**

 **Guest: So do I.**

 **Rook115: And then they got back together.**

 **guy passing by: I was going to have it soon when I ran into a question that I hadn't thought about: Can Magicka substitute magic? It's something that I have to figure out before any summoning because of how fundamental it is to gaining a familiar.**

 **Ermac The Being of souls: Look at the list above, someone is bound to guess at what I'm planning.**

 **DrachenEngel: I have to agree with you. I hate this part of the FOZ story line, So I tried to add something at least to make it more interesting to me. It didn't work nearly as well as I thought and came out wrong.**

 **Amimai002: Storage is a good idea, but I don't think any Daedrics would be tolerant enough of him to let him live too long.**

* * *

While the cube was translating, Colbert took the time to examine the room. He almost giggled like the kid with a new toy he felt like as he moved about the room. An entirely circular construction was an unusual creation to make from an architectural point of view for its lack of edges and and even more so for a culture that appeared to favor geometric shapes like the Dwemer did.

"Do you have any idea why they built this room as a sphere instead of some other shape like a square or rectangle?" the professor asked Dove as he walked around examining the edge of the glass floor.

Dove looked down from where she stood poking at the runed lexicon. "I don't know," she said shrugging, "I never thought to ask anyone who knew anything about Dwemer ruins."

"Are there many experts on the Dwemer back in Skyrim?" Colbert asked looking at the glass, there had to be some rather fine quality glass blowing to make panes this large and clear.

"There was one or two," Dove commented thoughtfully, "I met one in the city of Markarth that I cant quite remember the name of, it was built into the ruins of an old Dwemer city and most of the knowledge on the Dwemer can be found there."

"Interesting," Colbert commented as he moved to look over the top of the sphere. It might be worth a trip to Skyrim, if he ever found where it was, to see more constructions like this.

*GRRRRRSCCiiiiTTTCHCCCHHRRRRRR

Dove and Colbert paused and looked around, that wasn't something you often heard in a library. It was a low grumble, combined with a few sharp scratches that set Dove's nerves on edge. "Is that stone shifting about?" Dove asked putting a name to the unexpected sound.

"I think so," Colbert answered with a worried frown. The sound started to grow in intensity and both magic users could faintly feel soft, but noticeably growing, vibrations coming from the ground.

"Not good," Dove said before checking the Lexicon, "Most of this is translated, I'm pulling it and checking about." Colbert agreed to error on the side of caution.

After plucking the Lexicon from off its stand, Dove moved down ramp to investigate where the noise was coming from. Professor Colbert quickly moved to follow her heels.

-[]-

Quickly appearing in the library, Dove cast around for the cause of the disturbance. The vibrations were much easier to feel in this room, the shelves were starting to tremble and bounce as the floor shook.

Agnes was sitting at the bottom of the stairs trying to power read her way through the book Dove had given her before things got too bad while the rest of their companions huddled nearby clutching whichever book they had been holding when the ground had started shaking.

"What happened?" Dove barked out as she moved to stand with the group.

"I dropped some books and miss Eleanor used magic to clean them up," Siesta faithfully answered her teacher's question. The look on her face was just short of terrified as something further back in the room fell with a loud thud.

Dove gave the blond mage a flabbergasted look. "It specifically says to not use magic within the library," she stated, "and you couldn't keep your wand holstered even to pick up some books!?"

Dove crossed her arms and looked very imposing even though she was now jiggling from all the shaking. "It had better at least have been a pile as large as you are if it was so important that you felt the need to risk all of our lives to tidy up," she said deadly calm.

"About five titles," Siesta once again offered the answer to her teacher. Eleanor glared at the frightened maid at being ratted out.

The look that Dove shot at Eleanor could have vaporized ebony. "FIVE!?" the Baroness shouted throwing up her arms, "you broke the very simple deadly vault rules because you were too LAZY TO PICK UP FIVE BOOKS WITH YOUR HANDS!?"

"The names gone!" a quieter shout pulled Dove's attention from the victim of her wrath to the astonished musketeer captain.

"What?" Dove asked letting he arms drop.

"The name of the captain in charge of burning down Dundertale, the page with his name has been ripped out," Agnes answered as she started flipping through the book, "it says some lie about the captain being ordered to wipe out a plague that had been in village but the page with who the captain was is gone, I need to find his name."

Dove groaned and started giving orders. "Agnes, close the book," she continued before Agnes could interrupt, "you can examine it back in the academy proper. Everyone else, get moving behind me."

Agnes saw the wisdom in Dove's orders and stood up clutching the book to her chest.

"But the warning says that we can't remove any of the books from this room," Colbert argued.

"What will happen if we remove it now?" Dove argued, "in case you haven't noticed the alarm has already been tripped, it can't get any worse than that."

"The walls are getting closer!" Louise shouted as the shelves started moving in to prove Dove wrong.

"MOVE!" Dove shouted before suiting her own words and running for the door. The party were quickly on her heels, running to keep up. Behind them, where they had been standing only a moment or two ago the two nearest shelves crashed together, spraying the area with books.

*CRASH!

'Why are the defenses destroying the books?' Dove asked in her head as she looked back to see a spray of shrapnel from breaking shelves and a burst of torn pages clutter the air.

It just seemed to counterproductive to her.

Any further thoughts were squished to the sides as Dove sped up even further, trying to reach the door before the heavy books crushed them all.

*CRASH!

Another book shelf collided with its partner behind the party as they passed the half way mark, pelting them with hard backs. "AH!" Louise and Agnes cried out as they both went down under the shower.

"Louise!" Eleanor shouted. Ignoring the danger, she turned back for her sister and the musketeer captain.

The two young women pushed themselves up onto their hands and knees, just starting to stand when the next book shelf started careening towards them. Eleanor jerked her wand to the left causing a rise in the ground that stopped the book shelf from moving without stopping until she reached her sister.

"Come on," Eleanor urged pulling at her sister's arm, try to get her to rise faster.

Louise groan, the term hard back was well earned by the books stored in here if how her body felt was any indication. Staggering up right, Louise wavered and rubbed her head as the world around her tilted. A hard lump on her skull that stunk to the touch gave her a good idea why.

"I need help," Agnes called, a book called 'complains from commoners 1200-1210' had fallen on her leg.

"Why not just heal it?" Eleanor asked as she steadied her sister.

"No time to dawdle," Dove said as she arrived, she had turned around after making sure that the rest of the party had reached the door, "We need to get out now." Bending down, Dove picked Agnes up by the shoulder, "heal while I help you run."

Unlike breaks, bruises and the like were much harder to heal since the damage was from burst muscle capillaries instead of a clear break in the bone or a tear in the muscle fiber. This type of injury confuses the magic so to speak, leading to a longer time needed to heal.

With Agnes hanging on and encompassing herself in a warm glow, Dove started running with the Valliere sisters towards the door.

Behind the four women the sound of crashing book shelves filled the air.

* * *

Outside was much safer, the shock waves from the vaults defenses still shook the ground and the noise of crashing books was deafening but there didn't seem to be any immediate danger to them.

Dove slowed to a walk when she neared the rest of the group and unloaded Agnes from her shoulder. "You think you can stand?" she asked the musketeer, wary of letting her go just yet.

Agnes nodded, "I'll be fine."

Dove nodded and gently let her go. Agnes wobbled a little before standing upright, her form getting straighter as she continued to heal her leg.

"Now," Dove said swinging back around to look at Eleanor, "Back to calling you fifty kinds of idiot. I think I was on number fifteen."

Eleanor huffed and turned away but didn't really try to stop her.

"You just had to ignore the rule," Dove started, "Do you think that the warning carved into the lintel over the door in big bold letters was a warning for everyone else but only a suggestion to you? That you're exempt from the rules for some reason? A real Noble quality right there."

"I think that might be taking it a little too far," Louise muttered only to stiffen as Dove rounded on her.

"NO!" Dove shouted causing Louise to take a step back, "It's nowhere near unreasonable. That trap could only be activated by mage who is lazy, stupid, uncaring, or some combination thereof. I can safely say that I've met maybe five mages who didn't have those qualities, and yet they're the ones in charge of this nine-damned kingdom."

Julio watched from the side lines. He didn't quite like Dove's view of the world. While it was good that she didn't seemed to be completely attached to the kingdom of Tristain, it didn't bode well for him that she didn't seem to like any part of the noble system the church helped flourish.

Thankfully Brimir must have been watching out for him on this trip. During the exploration of the vault, he had come across what might be the greatest boon he could find in learning about Skyrim.

The strange book he found inside the vault had at first drawn his attention because of the oddity of its coloration and construction, old dark brown leather and a raised image of an octopus like creature made it stand out on any shelf. When he had picked it up it almost seemed to vibrate and get warm against his skin. When he had pursued the first few pages, he had been surprised at the almost picturesque words covering it but had almost put it down when he couldn't decipher it, until the word Skyrim had jumped out of the page at him.

Turning through the pages, it had surprised him how inconsistent the book was. Some pages contained strange drawings and script in a language he had never seen before while others had portions written in his own language. He had just found a page taking about Skyrim's climate when Eleanor had used magic to shelve some books and he hadn't gotten to read too far in before having to run for his life.

"The Queen isn't a bad ruler," Louise interjected to argue with her familiar.

"Like. I. Said." Dove growled out before sighing, "I've met five mages who aren't, Henrietta, you, Tabitha, Cattleya, and Colbert. The rest have at least one of those faults to a certain degree."

"Even Kirche and the head master?" Louise asked since she knew that Dove liked both.

"Have you ever tried to get the old man to actually do his job?" Dove asked rhetorically letting a small smile grow on her face. "Either way," She returned to looking at Eleanor, "Where do you get it in your head tha-"

The quaking ground subsided. "Well, glad that's over," Dove paused to say and look around before returning her attention to Louise and Eleanor.

Before could restart, a loud slurping sound punctuated the air and drawing the groups attention to it.

The magma river was rising, every second it moved about six inches higher.

It would completely cover the bridge in under a minute.

*CLANK CHugChugCHug-

And a pair of Spheres had rolled out into the light from the tunnel they needed to travel through. These Spheres didn't try to cross the bridge, instead they both raised their left arms and readied their built-in crossbows.

Dove groaned before looking at the rest of the party. "I'm sick of this place, let's get out of here before something even worse gets here," Dove decided for the group, 'I'll shelve the lecture for later.'

"Dove, you have the armor," Agnes ordered taking command of the situation, "you take point while Colbert, Eleanor and I follow behind you. Louise, Siesta and Julio, you guys moved over in line with the bridge but stay about ten meters back out of range we need to get across before the magma gets too high."

"Got it," drawing her sword Dove charged towards the bridge.

The Spheres started launching bolts at the group assembling on the far side only to find that their range could only just reach the end of the bridge and not any further.

Trusting that the Dwemer armor would turn away the worst of the enemy bolts, Dove took a step onto the bridge and took off like a gunshot. She might be able to reach the other side and the Spheres before they reloaded.

Colbert, Agnes, and Eleanor fell in on her heels, ready to provide ranged support until they crossed the bridge as well. While the three others followed Agnes orders and moved towards the bridge to get ready to cross.

Dove thundered across the bridge, firmly aware of the rising heat below her, and let out a shout as soon as she was in range. The next volley of bolts flew from the spheres before she could completely cross but her faith wasn't misplaced as they only caused some minor scratches on her plates.

"YOL TOOR SHUL!" Heat, called into existence by ancient magicka burst from Dove's mouth and crashed into the enemy. Both Spheres were staggered by the fire and couldn't recover properly before Dove delivered a heavy overhead strike on one of them.

Her target toppled, not destroyed because the attack had completely missed its body, Dove had aimed for the strut attaching the torso to the ball section of the creation.

The one on the left lifted it's arm to swing at the horned elf only to pull back as a spray of magma launched itself at it. In the back, Eleanor and Colbert quickly congratulated each other on the spell they used to move both fire and rock to pick up the magma.

The magma splattered against the Sphere's chest and pooled in the bottom half of its body, slowly becoming hard rock.

Dove saw this as she blocked another swing from her opponent and turned her free hand towards the second creation. Feeling the cold build up her arm, Dove let it lose a blast of icy wind worthy of the coldest wind on evening star in the pale itself on the Sphere.

With what could almost be called a growl, the Sphere came to an almost complete stop as the magma flashed into rock and locked the gears and pistons in its lower half in the position they were now in.

Ignoring the newly created statue, Dove trust forwards and managed to punch her sword into the Sphere's chest. Dragging her blade out and to the side allowed her to create a large hole in the thing before she lunged forwards to seize its head with her free hand and stab upwards through the widened hole.

The Sphere froze as the Dwemer blade sliced through its delicate inside components before falling over.

Dove whorled around, "Cross now!" The fight had been short but the magma was about five feet from the bottom of the bridge leaving them with maybe ten seconds to cross.

All three people on the other side of the bridge sprinted while the rest of the fighters moved to the other side to clear the path for their younger companions. The kids were A quarter way across; the magma had four feet left.

Half way across the; the magma had two feet left.

Three quarters: one foot, they were slowing just a bit.

Louise gave a yelp as the bridge heated up enough to scald her foot through her shoes but fortunately she was the last one in the group, the rest managed to reach the other side without any pain and before the magma reached the same level as the bridge.

"Come on," Dove ordered pushing Colbert ahead of her as the magma overflowed from its banks and started rushing across the floor. Moving like an ankle high, and rising, burning red tide of death towards them.

No one argued and they all took off since their lives depended on it, quickly disappearing into the dark tunnel. Behind them the Sphere statue started forming an island of rock where it fell into the rising red tide. Running down the tunnel, Dove looked back and was relieved to see the magma was moving much slower than before. Possibly because of how large the room was outside of the river bed.

* * *

After rounding the bend and arriving at the fork in the road, Dove called for a slowdown. "Good enough," she said bailey winded despite the heavy armor, "we should be alright if we keep moving. Any ideas what we do now?"

"We should, get back to the, academy," Agnes said a little out of breath. It was unfair, she privately thought as she breathed deeply, she was the least winded of the group apart from Dove yet the woman didn't look a bit tired from the running in armor or the fighting in that hot area they had just come from. Yet she was sweating almost completely through her shirt.

"Agreed," Dove spoke in a leading tone of voice, "but there are Falmer the way we came down, so do we try and find another way or do we try to fight our way through them?"

This question gave the group pause. They didn't really want to face those white elves again if they could avoid it but at the same time there was no guaranty that there was another way out.

"Do you think that there is another way?" Agnes asked the resident expert.

Surprisingly it was Colbert who answered. "When building any kind of fortification or strategic point of value it is vital to have more than one way out," the professor stated with certainty.

"Colbert is correct," Dove agreed with a nod, "It could either be hard to spot or blatantly obvious, but there would be more than one way to get down to this level. Most likely case, there is a way up at the ends of each bridge in the main chamber. We would just need to look for them."

"Shouldn't be too hard," Eleanor said confidently, "We just go back until we find a path we didn't take coming down and go up it."

"It's going to be a bit harder than that," Dove stated, "but you are basically correct."

"Then let's find it. If we can't find a way up before we go too far back the way we came then we'll continue that trail," Agnes decided.

This order seemed to go over well with the others and they started down the tunnel towards the main chamber.

-[]-

Once they were there, Dove quickly checked around the room for any hidden switches or levers only to be disappointed. "Well, guess the path up is further back," she said with a shrug.

Further back along the path was the main section of mining tunnels, Dove hadn't paid attention to this part because of her mad dash but Eleanor had when she led the group and remembered the way. Dove followed behind her looking for anything that might lead up.

The paths were laid out in a rough grid, the path they traveled down took them basically from one corner to its opposite by way of ninety degree turns followed by a short span and another ninety degrees turn in the other direction with other tunnels branching of their path at random intervals.

Dove frowned as she looked at the ceiling. "Looks like the lighting is all connected. We should look for section of gas pipe that lead off towards unlit areas," she suggested to everyone.

Thankfully they didn't need to look far.

Louise pointed up, "Is that it?" she asked pointing to a thin pipe branching off down a dark tunnel to their right.

"It might be," Dove said looking down the tunnel before addressing Eleanor, "Did you guys come down this way?"

"No, let's try it."

Using Colbert's fire to illuminate the dark tunnel, the party moved into the dark. It was much harder to find their way down this path since the pipe they were following was so small and the tunnel branched off just as much as before.

-[]-

Unfortunately, this led them to get lost.

"Where is that Akatosh damned pipe!" Dove growled as she marched through the dim light. They had lost sight of the pipe only three minutes ago so it shouldn't be so hard to find.

"I think we lost it on the last turn," Colbert offered his opinion, "We might be able to find it if we go back the way we came."

"But which way is the way we came?" Louise asked since she was completely turned around.

"That way," Agnes said pointing to the right of where they were facing.

"Are you sure?" Dove asked, her own sense of direction was strained from the dark and rough nature of the tunnels.

"I think so," Agnes answered with a shrug, it was the best guess any of them had.

Taking the right path led them further into the dark. As they walked Dove watched the ceiling like a hawk and thus didn't notice the walls widening until Eleanor pointed it out.

The halls had been large enough for three of them to walk side by side, but now it was wide enough for five of them to walk next to each other.

"Is that a good sign or a bad one?" Colbert asked as he peered into the darkness ahead.

"I think it's a good one," Dove answered, "the moving platforms are larger than the hallways so if a hall is expanding then it might be because one's at the end of it."

The thought of a quick way out perked up everyone's moods and they all but raced down the dark hall in hopes of finding the way out.

As the tunnel finally widened enough for the entire group to stand in a line, the light from Colbert's torch glinted off something ahead. Dove raced ahead as she made out a platform and button with a metal fence behind it.

"That's it!" she cried almost crying with happiness at the prospect of getting out.

The platform was inside of a large cylinder of stone with a metal gate in front of it and two metal faces watching over the path in-between them. Without hesitating, Dove walked up and slapped the button.

Dove was in the lift as soon as a large enough space had opened between the lowering gate. "Come on," she called to the group lagging a bit behind her, "If you're not here is ten seconds I'm leaving you."

That got the group to hurry up the rest of the way.

The entire group soon stood on the platform and Dove threw the lever.

-[]-

LOADING, LOADING, SLEEPING IN A BED APPLIES THE RESTED BONUS. SLEEPING IN A BED YOU OWN APPLIES THE WELL RESTED BONUS.

-[]-

"See," Dove commented as the group all blinked and tried to reorient themselves, "A brief flash of darkness and then suddenly you're standing in a totally different place."

They were still on the same platform that they had been standing on when Dove activated the lever, but now the room they were in wasn't a half mined out tunnel underground, it was a large open room underground.

The ground when up in a rather steep incline that had desks built into the ground to create a large seating area facing a raised pulpit or desk with their lift stationed to one side.

"We shouldn't be too far from an exit now," Dove commented remembering that the last time she had been in a room like this it had been near an exit.

"The only door is up there," Agnes said pointing up the incline at the back wall.

No one wanted to wait for anything and so Dove led the way up the slope and threw open the doors. The other side of the entry opened onto a bridge leading across the same circular room they had been in so many times.

"Looks like we're on the second to top level," Dove muttered, "so all we have is the room that leads down to where the Falmer was found to get through and we're out."

"So close, why does it have to be elves?" Louise whined.

"Maybe they won't be waiting for us," Dove said hopefully, "their work was on the level below instead of up."

Louise looked dubious but nodded, it wasn't like they had any other direction to go.

Dove led the group through the door on the far side and into the room beyond. The entire group was instantly on edge as the door led into a large room, half mined out of stone, half built out of square Dwemer cobblestone with many different paths leading off of it. There was fortunately only one way that led up.

The wall to their left was pock marked with at least six possible paths that disappeared into the ground either up or down with three paths on the wall to the right and two on the far wall. There was no artificial lighting, the only artificial things in here were a pair of ramps, one going up the other going down in spirals set in the middle of the room.

No light meant that it was used by Falmer.

"Stay quiet," Dove muttered and started going towards the ramp up.

As was often the case when someone tells you to be quiet, the party suddenly found themselves being anything but. Every step seemed to echo off the walls as if it was the sound of gongs.

Dove wanted to hiss as Eleanor's hard toe shoes made a loud click with each step. 'I would gladly kill her if I could do it quietly,' she groused as she arrived at the base of the ramp.

*CLICK

Dove looked down at her foot, which was on the bottom most part of the ramp.

"OH, Fuck all kinds of duck," She groaned as a loud bellowing sound in the near distance started echoing around them. Dove sighed, "Run, one last time."

Dove was ready for this adventure to be over.

* * *

 **And running running,**

 **And running running,**

 **Time to end the Dwemer adventure.**

 **For the record, it took a HUGE amount of effort to not write the battle of Moria from the fellowship of the ring after Gimli found Balin's tome.**


	59. Out of the dark and into the bed

**"Kidnap the santi-claws~" Three little kids in masks sang as they marched into the boogeyman's lair.**

 **"We got him!" they all cried to the cloth wrapped nightmare as they deposited their sack on a chair.**

 **With a flourish, the sack was pulled up and the blond young man beneath was revealed.**

 **"Snipern0sniping doesn't own Familiar of Zero or Skyrim," Julio said as before his eyes adjusted.**

 **The children blinked and** **oogie boogie tilted his head as the strange falmen started looking around.**

 **"Hello?" the normal looking person asked a bit nervously while looking around, "I was told that I was supposed to say that line as soon as I was let out of the bag, did I do something wrong?"**

 **oogie boogie shook his head as he came to a decision.**

 **"Don't care, either way I'm going to eat you."**

 **"Wait, what?" Julio asked before the world went black.**

* * *

 **Cyclinity: Nope, he didn't pick up a black book I have no idea what you're talking about ;P. He's just going to now be deathly afraid of octopi from now on.**

 **XSDStitch: It's called 'religious** **fanaticism'. Of course the church will be called in when Julio dies, that's going to be something fun to try and write.**

 **the kitty killer: The entire idea of the vault bothered me. It was like 'BIG SCARY VAULT' but all it turns out to be is a room that has basic courtesy rules and an added 'no magic' yet obviously those who made it seemed to know that this was apparently asking the impossible for any noble to do and so capitalized on the spoiled nobly system.**

 **TheENDstyler: Not so much chaos as an unfortunate event.**

 **Incarnation of Insanity: I can see it now: "Give me answers!" *Mora appears and takes one look at julio "Oh you have got to be kidding me." That's an interesting theory on why the rooms are round, I'll have to look at the video when I get time.**

 **Touhou is Life:... What?**

 **The One True Slacker: It was sooo close, they worked just so perfectly! I'll have her write a full letter to Eleanor detailing how stupid she was.**

 **Sazq:... 'naughty' and 'black books' have some very interesting search results.**

 **grey: Who would it be for? :P**

 **Carre: It's alright, here it is, would it truly be 'damned' since Mora isn't actually a demon? just a very curious nigh on all powerful cthulhu monster? Thank you. Tabitha will be in the next few chapters for sure.**

 **Rook115: Agreed, Dove had the others to think about, she could fight her way out but there wouldn't be a guaranty that she would escape unharmed and the others aren't nearly as strong as she is.**

 **Writing Gunner: Thank you for the compliments. I have some ideas about how the ruin got there, ps it relates to the lexicon. I think Julio's death would be painful but possibly short depending on how **** is feeling.**

 **sirmoocowthethird: I just want to know, what happened to the second? Thank you, I felt that it tied in well to the other time they used the elevator.**

 **Astrobot1745: Have you read looking for group? you sound like Richard.**

 **Guest: but now I want to know: who would they replace (imagining Julio as Legolas, total panic) :).**

 **Hell Fire: I felt that any kels found by the Dwemer would be kept in a more secure place than what I was imagining this place to be.**

 **RedBurningDragon: I don't think so, mostly because When Dove was summoned it was because Sheogorath intervened, so it would go to Tiffa would have summoned if that hadn't happened (unless someone else intervened for the hell of it.)**

 **... I had to look up 'DEATH BY SNU-SNU.'**

 **Ow.**

 **Just, Ow**

 **I can't bleach my mind fast enough.**

 **Who would it be wit-**

 **BLEACH!**

 **Guest: Thanks for the compliment, My ruin was supposed to be simple and easy to figure out what it was but fun to get through, so I guess I succeed. Why don't you write it yourself? it sounds like you've got an idea down so now expand.**

* * *

Dove waited for the others to pass her by before clenching a hand and aiming at the ground. A burst of red light in a pattern appeared at the base of the ramp, signifying that her spell had taken. Dove grinned and then took to the ramp herself.

"Louise," she called up ahead of her, "Wait at the top for me. I have an idea."

The ramp wasn't that long, with four switchbacks until the next floor, but it was steep, almost as steep as the corkscrew from the beginning of the tower of Mzark. Louise dutifully paused at the top for her familiar to arrive.

"Remember the new spells I taught you before coming down here?" Dove asked as she arrived at the top.

"Lightning rune and fire cloak," Louise answered right off the bat. It had been the introduced to her and Kirche in their last lesson together.

Dove grinned and wiped a bit of sweat of her forehead. "Good, Runes, if you'll recall, are basically spell traps. I want you to cast the lightning one right here at the top of the ramp. I've already cast the fire one at the bottom, so a lightning one here will both inform us of where the Falmer are behind us and slow them down."

Louise frowned a bit. She wasn't too confident on that kind of spell. "Can you cast the spell up here as well?" she asked.

Dove shook her head, "There's some limitation in spell casting, only one rune at a time." It was a variation of the law of firsts, so there may be a way around it with the lesser known 'rule of two' that she had read about in an old book called 'Twin Secrets'. She had managed to use the information to give one item two enchantments only a day before getting summoned here.

"That's stupid," Louise muttered as she moved up to cast. She concentrated hard, scrunching her brow as she tried to remember the details of the rune she needed to cast.

*BOOM*

A loud explosion from down below echoed up to them.

"Well, never mind," Dove commented, "At least we know where the Falmer are." Dove threw down another fire rune, "We'll work on casting the rune faster when we get back home. For now, let's go."

-[]-

The path at the top of the ramp was surprisingly short. There were no branches and only fifty meters later they ran into a dead end as if the miners had just stopped working at that spot for the day.

"Oh, thank Akatosh," Dove cried and ran at the wall while the others groaned.

Agnes growled and punched the wall before turning back around the way they came. "There isn't any other way out of this, and something set off the baroness's trap at the beginning of the path," she mused, "Eleanor, can you tunnel through the rock with your earth magic?"

"Yes, but I have no idea in which direction we need to go apart from up," the eldest Valliere daughter answered. "I might make a tunnel right to the surface that the Falmer can use to escape at their leisure, and it will take a lot of time."

'What about the entrance into the academy?' Agnes suddenly wondered, 'If they find that way, then they can also leave at their leisure.' The captain shook her head, 'One problem at a time,' she decided.

"I can hold them off," Professor Colbert offered hesitantly. His offensive magic was all fire based and he worried that that alone might be enough for Agnes to recognize his old position.

"Or we use the secret door," Dove commented from the end of the tunnel.

"WHAT!?" Eleanor and Agnes shouted at the woman.

Dove reached towards a round protrusion on the wall, pulled on the wooden lever, and watched as a section of the wall moved back and slid into the ground.

"Remember when I said that I had seen hidden doors before? This is what I was talking about."

Agnes breathed a sigh of relief, "Anything else you want to tell us about these tunnels?"

"Secret doors are often near the entrance of the ruin or dungeon, but are only accessible from the end," Dove answered in a monotone before grinning, "The more you know."

Eleanor rolled her eyes before going through.

"After you," Dove patronized before following, "Louise, cast the rune on the other side of the door in case they find it."

"Fine," Louise groaned.

The room on the other side of the door was large and familiar. "Well well well, it's the room we both love," Dove commented, looking around at the large half rock half working room with a stream running through it. This was the room that led to where the Falmer were.

"Are the Falmer in here?" Louise asked nervously while looking at the rough tunnel entrance where they had first seen the Falmer.

"If they're not in here then we can assume that they didn't get out of the room at the end of the tunnel," Dove assured her, going towards the developed part of the room.

Everyone kept an eye of the tunnel as they moved past it.

"Alright," Dove said in the next room. The room was dark, with the only lights at the doorways and, if she remembered correctly, was full of pressure plates.

"Did we turn off this trap?" Dove honestly couldn't quite remember if they had or hadn't, she just remembered that this was where she had been set on fire.

"I think so," Siesta replied. She remembered this room from how frightening it had been.

"Whelp, one way to find out," Dove said before walking forwards.

"Dove," Louise reached forwards and jerked the back of the woman's armor.

"Gah!" the woman gasped as the surprisingly strong small woman pulled her to a complete stop. "I wasn't going to walk on it Louise," Dove said incredulously, "I was going to poke it with my sword."

Louise blinked, she had honestly not thought about using the sword. "You need to stop putting yourself in danger," she said to cover her reaction.

The dragon-souled demigoddess in epic armor paused as the small mage argued with her. Reaching up, Dove first removed her helmet and took a breath before looking at Louise.

Dove raised a damp, but still imperious eyebrow. "Louise," she said in a calm and even tone, "I am wearing the most protection of all of us. Do not make someone else test the trap because they would get more hurt than I would if it's on. Besides, I can heal and have already been burnt."

Louise glared at her familiar's logic. She couldn't fault Dove, but she wanted to.

"Can you let go now?" Dove asked the pink mage lightly.

Louise kept on glaring but slowly let go.

"Thank you," Dove said with a smile before putting her helmet on.

'What is up with her?' Dove asked herself, 'Ever since I got burned… Scratch that, ever since we came down here in the first place, Louise has been breathing down my neck about getting hurt.'

Reaching the edge of the pressure plate field, Dove carefully reached out and poked the plates, wary and ready to jump back out of range in case there was any fire. There wasn't any and Dove gave a satisfied nod before looking back.

"It's off," she informed the others before resolutely walking onto the pressure plates. The others quickly followed the baroness, gingerly crossing the pressure plates before racing to catch up with the woman.

Next, they moved up the ramp and into the debris filled room where they had been assaulted by the Dwemer Spheres.

"If you want to keep those Dwemer plates," Dove commented to Professor Colbert, "I suggest you pick them up now. I don't think it would be a safe idea to come back down here."

Colbert sighed in disappointment. He wanted to come back here as soon as he could with more in-depth research gear. He had at first only come to try and stop them getting in and finding out that he had been a part of the Dungletale tragedy, but now he wanted to explore.

"Maybe the Falmer will die off," he half muttered to himself, half spoke to Dove as the expert on Dwemer ruins. "If they're gone then I could examine the area better," he continued as he picked up the strange metal plates.

Dove, unfortunately, had to crush his hopes.

"Not likely," she said with a sad expression at the prospect of denying the man's inquisitive nature again. "Falmer are simply too stubborn to die. I don't know how, but I suspect that they will somehow survive down here for a while."

Professor Jean Colbert, former captain flame serpent of the Tristian military, pouted like a child that had just been denied caramel apples or sweet rolls at the fair by his parents.

"Unless you want to risk many lives by hunting them down later with some mages," Dove commented before crushing that idea as well, "Hunting subterranean elves in their natural habitat with mages that aren't already being sent to the front line of the war already in progress. It's just not worth it right now, sorry."

Colbert agreed after a moment of thinking about it. Instead, he just picked up all the plates he could before moving on. Dove gave the man a pat on the back before leading them through the room and towards the door.

-[]-

*Clack*

Pausing at the door leading out, Dove tilted her head and looked around. "Does anyone else hear that?" she asked, causing Agnes to frown.

"Hear what?" the musketeer captain inquired.

Dove moved closer to the door. It was hard to locate where the sound was coming from with it bouncing around on the stone.

"Something sounded like metal on stone," Dove said with a concerned frown. It wasn't the sound of a rune exploding behind them, but it was a sharp noise coming from somewhere indeterminate.

It was Colbert who put a name to the sound. "Mining," he said with a frown before his professor side started trying to figure out why. "The Falmer were used as slave labor, maybe they haven't realized that there aren't any Dwemer around and are just going about what they feel is an average day."

"Which means there's most likely a bunch of Falmer miners somewhere, maybe up ahead," Agnes summed up the important pieces of information.

Behind the main fighters, Julio and Siesta both shivered. One shivered because she still remembered the unfortunate Falmer who fell into the trap while the other was afraid of running into elves.

"We need to get through here," Dove said, looking at the door between them and the path to the mining area.

"Can we just sprint through?" Eleanor asked, "There was only one other room between here and the main chamber to get out, so why don't we just run for it?"

Dove and Agnes considered it. "That might work for now," Agnes slowly stated, bringing up her previous thought, "But then we would have to stop them from chasing us if they hear us. In fact, we would need to find a way to stop the elves from following us through the tunnels back to the academy in the first place."

"Once we leave, they would be able to come through the academy," Dove said, following Agnes' train of thought. "The Falmer hate all things to do with the surface world and they would attack anyone near an entrance to their territory, this includes the Academy of magic."

"So, we need to kill any we come across and then block off the tunnel between the main chamber and the secret entrance in the academy," Julio said from further back in the group, "At least until they can be dealt with later."

"I'm in favor of just cutting off all access," Dove commented before turning to Eleanor. "Eleanor, can you collapse the bridge between the mine and the academy entrance?"

Eleanor thought about it for a moment. "It shouldn't be too hard," she decided, "My golem should be able to smash the bridge with a bit of time."

"Then I think we should try sneaking past the Falmer and then smashing the bridge," Dove suggest to Agnes. "If we can get past them without being seen then we might be able to smash the bridge before the Falmer are even aware of us 'remodeling', if not then we should still destroy the bridge before they can catch up to us."

"How can we get past the Falmer?" Agnes asked, intrigued. "If I remember correctly, the room isn't large enough that they won't notice us."

"Simple," Dove said, "I have a shout that will make it sound like a voice is coming from the partially finished tunnel. After they go to investigate, we go through as quiet as we can."

Agnes considered it while the others waited on her.

"We'll try sneaking through, but I want everyone ready to attack in case that fails," Agnes decided, giving Dove a nod. She could feel a twinge of interest in these shouts Dove would use, seeing another would be informative.

"Got it," Dove saluted in an exaggerated fashion before quietly moving forwards.

The room they had to sneak through hadn't been changed that much since they had first come through. It was still ruined and the open area between the doors that was filled with rotten wheelbarrows piled together with old pickaxes. The biggest difference was the thirty or so Falmer moving around the area.

The work appeared to be rather spaced out and meandering. Twenty of the Falmer were spread out in whichever direction the vein of metal they were mining led them while ten others moved the rotting wheelbarrows around to fill them up and then placed them over to one side.

Fortunately for the mostly human group, none of the elven workers were close enough to them to hear their arrival in the area. Looking at the tunnel, Dove sucked in a breath and then whispered.

"Zul Mey Gut."

Agnes raised an eyebrow at how quiet the 'shout' was before another voice suddenly burst out of the partially completed tunnel in between the one they were cowering in and where they needed to go.

"FUCK YOU, YOU KNIFE EARED ICICLES!"

All around the room work paused as the Falmer tried to identify where the voice had come from and what it meant.

"HEY I AM TALKING TO YOU! DID THE DWEMER TAKE YOUR BRAINS AS WELL AS YOUR EYES?! COME ON AND FACE ME! YOU ONCE WERE GREAT WARRIORS? YOU LOOK MORE LIKE BITS OF ICE LEFT OUT IN THE NOON DAY SUN!"

Most of the group was surprised to hear a roar of rage from the goblin like elves before they charged the tunnel from where the voice had come from, pickaxes and crude swords held at the ready.

"That worked surprisingly well," Agnes commented before wasting no more time and leading the way across the room.

"There's nothing that can piss a Falmer off like a surface dweller invading their home and challenging them," Dove said, following the captain, "I just made them think there was one in that direction."

With the elves out of the way, the group made their way through the room and into the last area before the central chamber without any other issues.

"And with that, we're out," Dove said happily as she started walking across the bridge towards the tunnel to the academy.

"Not yet," Agnes grumbled. She had gotten what she hoped would lead her to the men responsible for the destruction of her home, but the damaged section she had found left her worried about the rest of the book.

Dove shrugged her negativity off before almost skipping across the bridge and turning around to wait for the slow pokes. She felt positively giddy at the thought of getting out of the dark, even if her legs were tired it wasn't enough to spoil her mood.

When they had arrived, Eleanor cast her spell and an earth golem grew out of the dirt. "Smash it," Dove cheered with a mad glint in her eye. "We wasted so many chapters down there, smash it all in the name of cheese!"

Even the golem looked at the baroness like she was crazy.

Dove blinked under the attention. "Sorry about that," she said while awkwardly rubbing the back of her head, "I don't quite know what came over me there."

"Anyways," Agnes moved on, "She is right, crush the bridge and let's get out of here. Eleanor gave a signal and the golem raised its arms before bringing them down on the bridge.

*Crunch*

The bridge surface under the two massive hands cracked into a massive spider web. Bringing its hands back up, the golem hit it again deepening the damage and causing a small portion of the bridge to collapse.

Striding out onto the bridge, the golem added its own weight before hitting the bridge one more time and causing the construction to give out.

Eleanor waved her wand and the magic sustaining the golem ended, allowing the being to return to a pile of stone that fell into the depths below.

"And with that," Eleanor announced triumphantly, "The way is secured."

"Whoo-hoo," Dove said, letting a smile back onto her face. "Race you back to the academy."

* * *

Coming through the hidden door in the girls restroom, Dove looked back over her shoulder with a smirk.

"I win," she said as Eleanor came up behind her.

"You had a head start," Eleanor grumbled, but the sight of natural light was enough to put her in a mood that even Dove couldn't bring down.

"Keep telling yourself that," Dove said as the rest of the tired party caught up to the two women.

Agnes breezed past the two-bickering woman into the dining hall. "It appears to be late afternoon," she commented while looking up at the light coming in from the window. "Get something to eat and then you can go back to your regular day." Her plans were to scour the book she had found for more references to the squad responsible for Dungletale.

"Can you tell the other musketeers that I'm going to take the afternoon off?" Dove asked the Captain. "I'm a little tired from the whole adventure."

That last sprint to beat Eleanor had taken the last of her energy, leaving Dove with an intense desire to just sit or lay down for the rest of the day. Everyone agreed with that. They were all tired so an afternoon off sounded perfect.

"Alright," Agnes agreed, looking at the others tired faces, "I'll make it official so you can get out of class or work."

Agnes stood stiff before speaking in a formal tone, "Miss Valliere, Louise, Siesta, Falmen Julio, Professor Colbert, Professor Bosquet, you are all ordered to take the day off and recuperate from your last mission, the crown thanks you for your service."

"Huzzah," Dove said before breaking off from the group towards her own room in the servants quarters.

Behind her, the party broke up and went in their own separate directions in search of rest and recovery.

-[]-

Sighing in contentment, Dove lowered herself into her bed. It was only four in the afternoon but she already wanted to go to sleep. 'Maybe I'll just let myself drift,' Dove thought as she closed her eyes for a bit.

'Wonder how Colbert is doing with that lexicon,' was the last coherent thought in her head before she surrendered into a doze.

* * *

Standing in the kitchen, the blue haired mage from Gallia watched as the servants prepared the dinner meal.

Tabitha had noticed that the routine of the academy had been interrupted. Classes for her and the rest of the noble student population had gone on without any changes but she had noticed a distinct lack of magicka training outside.

Her investigations had led to the discovery that there wasn't going to be any training today because of a 'sudden mission' that the musketeer captain had left and taken several people on, including Baroness Bosquet, with her. This left them without a teacher for the day.

Fortunately, the captain's party had managed to get back to them later that same day, but the entire group had immediately gone their separate ways afterwards and the captain had secreted herself in her room going over whatever they had found so they didn't know much detail as to what happened.

Taking all this information in, Tabitha concluded that Dove was most likely in her room napping and this quick stop in the kitchen before dinner assured her that she was correct. As she watched the staff bustle around the room, Tabitha realized that Dove would probably sleep right through dinner, which wouldn't be a good thing. Blinking once to herself, an entire internal conversation executed in that one motion, Tabitha moved into the room.

Stopping behind the head chef, Tabitha reached up to tap his shoulder knowing that her voice would never reach him over the sound of something frying. Martone looked over his shoulder before doing a double take.

"Ah, little miss, what can I do for you?" he asked in surprise at seeing one of his favorites in the kitchen. "Dinner should be ready in about ten minutes, so don't expect a snack right now." He liked her but he felt it would be rude if they don't wait for meal time.

"I need to get a meal for Dove," Tabitha informed him in a slightly louder voice than normal to be heard, "I think she's going to sleep through dinner."

Martone frowned, "She isn't sick, is she?" the chef asked the noble. Gossip had it that Dove was taking the day off, but if she was asleep this late in the afternoon she might be ill.

Tabitha shook her head. "Just tired," she said, "Busy day."

Martone sucked in a breath, considering, before nodding. "Alright, what she needs is some hearty food." He trusted that Dove wouldn't waste a day away from the kitchen sleeping unless she really needed it.

In a second he had a plate laden with food. Two chicken legs, one large serving of rice and stir-fried vegetables, half a granny smith apple, a cup of grape juice, and even a cupcake with a fresh strawberry sauce on top.

"This ought to put a spring in her step," Martone commented with a smile while presenting the plate to Tabitha.

The mage nodded her thanks and quickly left the kitchen with her load.

A maid with light brown hair watched her go. "What was that sir?" she asked Martone in a very sweet voice.

"Just a girl looking out for her friend," he answered dismissively. He knew that this girl was one of the major gossipers and didn't want to give her any ideas to reinterpret and spread around.

"I see," the maid said, her tone showing that she was getting ideas anyway. A bright and wicked smile suddenly bloomed on her face before she darted off towards another maid.

Martone sighed regretfully, there just was no stopping her now.

* * *

Tabitha opened Dove's door as quietly as she could, making sure to not knock her lover's little rock alarm system and slipped in. Pausing in the doorway, Tabitha let a smile grace her face. As she had expected, Dove was fast asleep on her bed.

Tabitha softly closed the door behind her before moving towards the bed. After setting the plate down, Tabitha took a moment to just watch Dove sleep. The elf was completely asleep, breathing evenly and laying completely still. She was laying on one side curled a bit onto herself facing away from where Tabitha had settled down.

Reaching out, Tabitha gently put her hand on Dove's shoulder and tried to wake her.

Dove didn't respond so Tabitha tried shaking a little harder. This time Dove grumbled and turned onto her other side to face Tabitha before both eyes partially opened. "Tabby," Dove half asked as her half-asleep mind noted the blue hair and small build.

"You need to eat," Tabitha said before picking up the plate and holding in front of her body.

Dove's nose twitched as the smell of fried vegetables and spices reached her. The heavenly aroma pulled at her mind managing to bring it up to full awareness. Sitting up right, Dove quickly took the plate from Tabitha's hands and devoured it while Tabitha waited.

"Thank you," Dove said as she finished, "I didn't realize how hungry I was until I smelled the food." She yawned and stretched, pushing her shoulders into the bed as she arched her back. "What time is it?"

"Dinner," Tabitha answered bluntly, "You were gone all day."

Dove winced as she caught what sounded like a hurt note in her girlfriend's voice. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely, "I hadn't thought to take you with us and I should have, sorry."

"It is alright," Tabitha assured her, "Where did you go?"

Dove smirked, before launching into a retelling of her day underground.

* * *

 **Happy fourth of July!**

 **Although it's technically the fifth right now,**

 **Either way, Happy Birthday AMERICA!**


	60. Tales from between the sheets

**"WAAAAAAA!"**

 **A blurred shape crashed through the rough stone wall of the vampire's room before coming to a stop half way through a large, flat, piece of technology.**

 **"...Ow," Julio moaned after a moment.**

 **"What was that?" he pondered looking at the rectangular thing around his waist.**

 **"That is a 70 inch plasma wide screen tv," a deep and aristocratic voice answered him from somewhere in the room.**

 **Julio turned, looking for the source of the voice.**

 **"With netflix."**

 **Where the voice was coming from resolved itself into a large pale man in an epic red fedora and red suit.**

 **"What? Oh!" Julio asked before jerking and struggling to his feet. "I have a message for you, Mr Alucard," the Priest said to the man.**

 **"Oh really?" the irritated demon asked intrigued.**

 **"Yup," Julio started, "Ahem, Snipern0sniping doesn't own Familiar of Zero or Skyrim."**

 **Alucard blinked in confusion. "The fuck does that have to do with anything?" he asked.**

 **Julio frowned, "I don't know."**

 **"Ohwell," Alucard said, "it was fun while it lasted, but you did destroy my TV during adventure time so I'm going to have to drink all of your blood."**

 **"Drink my what?" Julio asked surprised before a hell-hound made out of the man's shoulder leap out and ate him.**

* * *

 **the kitty killer: Agreed, I have decided to hate caves for the next week.**

 **Akshka: ROTTEN MILK!**

 **Touhou is Life: I don't think many people would be disappointed if Julio got even less screen time then I give him.**

 **Blackholelord: The elves might drag reinforcements from the Church at first but I don't think there would be much fighting with everyone concentrating on Albion.**

 **Carre: They are, I was kind of joking about damnation. No he didn't, it was just that the caves were getting to her. I have plans to include more Daedra and Divens, Serena... I have said that all three main story lines (Skyrim, dragonborn, and dawnstar) were completed. The next chapter isn't so much a crisis or adventure bu I hope you enjoy. ;P**

 **XSDStitch: "OH MY GOD BRIMIR SAVE US WE"RE ALL GOING TO DIEEEEEE!" Something like that.**

 **Engineer4Ever: YUP!**

 **TheENDstyler: The 70,000 soldiers isn't part of the academy take over :(. However, the take over is one of my favorite parts of the FOZ storyline so that's going to be fun.**

 **RedBurningDragon: Cuddling and more! I always thought of Julio as a play boy, but in a 'I'm manipulating these girls to do what I want' kind of a way, remember in the anime where their looking for the thief and it turns out to be the second in command? in it Julio comments on how he was getting girls to show him their breasts, I took that moment as an example of his personality and cranked it up to eleven for my story.**

 **Cyclinity: and sexy, don't forget sexy.**

* * *

 **This chapter has been beta'd by evevee**

* * *

 **Lemon warning!**

* * *

Tabitha frowned as she listened to Dove's retelling. She wasn't quite happy that she had missed out, but she could live with it. "Sounds like a hard day," she eventually replied.

"Still upset that you missed it?" Dove asked, setting her plate on the side table. "It wasn't all that fun and a few of us got hurt."

"Yes," Tabitha stated while remembering that Dove was the one who had gotten hurt the most, "I want to make sure you're safe."

Dove flashed Tabitha smile before another thought occurred to her. "Tabby," she started to get her attention, "Louise was rather over protective of me while we were down there. Do you know why that is? Has there been some threat to me that I'm not aware of?"

Tabitha shook her head. "No," she said, "Maybe she is just being protective."

Dove snorted and shook her head. "Of little old me?" she asked sweetly widening her eyes and pouting adorably, "The badass elf-cum-dragon demigod with powers that make the all-powerful Tristian Nobles shake and tremble?"

Tabitha gave the maid a long look before nodding.

"It can't be that," Dove reiterated, shaking her head. "She knows that I can look after myself. I've proven that I'm the better fighter, possibly the most physically and magically mighty person in this academy if I do say so myself." She gave a light smile at Tabitha, "With you as a close second."

Tabitha let Dove have her moment before speaking, "But a mage always fears for their familiar."

That gave Dove pause. "Do you worry about Syphid?" she asked curiously. "She is also a dragon, and a very intelligent one at that, so do you worry that someone might come up and kill her?"

"Yes," Tabitha answered easily.

Dove paused, the obvious truth of Tabitha's words surprising her. "Why?" she asked, "She could just eat anyone who attacks her, they're tiny compared to her."

"Danger takes many forms," Tabitha said, thinking about her uncle and what he could do. If he ordered her to take Illococoo into a dangerous situation, she would have to obey him and bring her familiar into the line of fire.

"You're thinking about your uncle now, aren't you?" Dove asked rhetorically, examining Tabitha's face. At her companions surprised glance Dove shrugged, "Your cheeks twitch whenever you think about him. Do you think he would hurt Syphid?"

"Maybe," Tabitha allowed before falling into a sullen mood. The chances of it happening weren't all that high since her familiar wasn't the main threat to the king, it was her place in line for the throne and skill that threatened him, but taking out Syphid would weaken her.

Dove watched as her girlfriend's face fell into depressing thoughts. It would be nearly impossible for others to notice Tabitha's growing depression, but for her it was clear as day watching her eyes darken. She needed to do something about that.

A flash of flying covers pulled Tabitha's attention up from her own lap. Before she could delve too deeply into her thoughts, the blue haired mage was seized by her shoulders and dragged bodily out of her chair and onto the bed.

"Nope," Dove exclaimed playfully as she dragged the smaller woman into her bed before the covers she had tossed in the air could settle down on them. "You're not thinking about your uncle, or how bad the world can be right now. You're far too tense. Tabby."

Tabitha could only blink as the blanket that had been covering Dove's nearly nude body was pulled back over the two of them. Dove had gotten into bed after tossing her armor off without bothering with any kind of clothes apart from a black bra and pantie set.

The world around Tabitha vanished into the white and blue of Dove's blanket and sheets as she pulled the blanket up and over her head to encase the two of them in their own world.

"There," Dove said, snuggling down so that her face was level with Tabitha's, "The outside world in gone. It's just the two of us here, so you can relax."

Tabitha didn't quite know what to say to that.

She was used to settling down to plan how to overcome whatever was bothering or endangering herself after gaining all the details she could. Laying down and just ignoring it like Dove was saying wasn't something she did, it went against her grain.

Dove just watched with steadily growing amusement as Tabitha slowly started to fidget and shift as her desire to be aware of her surroundings warred with Dove's declaration of safety. At first Tabby was trying to keep still, but her eyes kept on trying to peer through the fabric to keep an eye on the outside world.

Despite the amusing sight, Dove huffed in annoyance as her girlfriend's attention was still divided before shifting her head forwards and captured Tabitha's lips in a long kiss. Tabitha's attention immediately stopped focusing outward and she gave her full attention to the other woman in the bed.

Dove reluctantly pulled back out of the kiss only to lick her lips and give Tabitha another kiss, only this time it was a peck on the cheek. She smirked at the slightly unfocused look on her lover's face.

"I have your attention now, right?" she teased.

Tabitha nodded. She hadn't noticed earlier, but her hands had drifted forwards sometime during the kiss and were now lightly touching the sides of Dove's breasts.

"Are you still thinking about your uncle?" Dove asked, a slight shiver going through her as she felt Tabby's fingers on her figure.

Tabitha frowned and paused slightly as her attention was brought back to her troubles. Dove rolled her eyes a bit at losing her attention and quickly kissed her again.

"You know, I'm just going to keep on kissing you every time you stop thinking about me," Dove informed Tabitha with a mock serious expression, "After all, there is nothing else in this world but you and me right now."

"…Fine," Tabitha surrendered to the pushy familiar.

"Yay," Dove cheered quietly before softly pushing Tabitha from her side to lying on her back. Before Tabitha could move, Dove straddled her, creating a tent in the covers. Now in position, Dove leaned down and pressed her body to Tabitha before continuing their kiss.

Tabitha felt a shiver run through her as Dove's breasts press into her. Reaching forwards, she ran her hands up Dove's side and back, exploring her girlfriend from hip to shoulder before moving to her stomach. Tabitha's hand hesitated for a moment, torn between deciding to go up or down, before heading up.

Dove purred as she felt Tabitha's hand slip under her bra and gently squeeze on her left breast. Tabitha, for her part, felt absolutely no shame as her shaft became swollen and strained against her underwear when she felt the hardening tip of Dove's breast against her palm.

Unaware of Tabitha's growing length, Dove lost herself in her barrage of kisses as she felt Tabitha's other hand move up to torso to fondle her other breast. Her own hands reached for Tabitha, but were thwarted when they found her lover still dressed in her school clothes.

Undeterred, Dove quickly undid several buttons on Tabitha's shirt so that she could run her hand up to feel the soft flesh that made up her lover's small chest.

Tabitha sighed in contentment as she felt Dove start playing with her, with the familiar's hand running underneath her bra to brush her nipples before gently pressing against them.

Deciding to one up her lover, Tabitha slipped one of her hands out from under Dove's bra and down to her leg. Using a firm wiggle, Tabitha pushed Dove's leg away, causing the elf's other leg to slip to the side. As Dove's warm slit pressed against the bulge of Tabitha's base, the mage let out a breath of pleasure and returned her hand to Dove's breast. Her hips bucked and wriggled as she worked the bulge in her skirt up against Dove's lower lips.

Dove gasped as her legs split and she felt something touch her womanhood. The knowledge that Tabitha's hands were completely occupied caused a wet spot of pre-cum to form on her panties and soak through to the point of Tabitha's skirt.

Leaning back from her kissing spree, Dove threw off the blanket and sat on her lover's waist, trapping Tabitha's dick underneath her backside. Tabitha groaned as the pressure on her penis increased nearly to uncomfortable levels from the full weight of Dove's upper body above.

Dove lifted herself from her lover's trapped length and slid backwards so that she straddled Tabitha's knees instead. "Need to get rid of some layers before we can do that," she said huskily before attacking Tabitha's skirt.

Tabitha lifted her hips off the bed to let Dove take the skirt off before she started unbuttoning the rest of her own shirt and the ties on her cloak.

Dove paused to admire as the offending skirt was pulled down to her lover's ankles. "Forgot the shoes," she muttered before sliding further back and rectifying the issue.

Looking at her lover's body, Dove was entranced as her eyes ran over pure white thigh high stockings, baby blue panties with delicate embroidered frost white ferns that were full of Tabitha's hard cock and wet with excitement, and a matching bra that was slightly askew from their activities.

Tabitha noticed her lover's stare and felt her cheeks flush at the intensity. The small part of her that wasn't overtaken with love and lust wanted to cover up.

"You are beautiful," Dove breathed, soothing Tabitha's shyness before the baroness went straight for her lover's panties. She licked at the damp area of cloth covering both shaft and hole before slipping her fingers into the sides. Dove pulled the small piece of fabric down to Tabitha's knees, allowing the hard rod beneath to spring to full mast, dripping with clear fluid. After fully ridding the mage of her underwear, Dove laid on the bed and stuck her head between the bare thighs.

She softly kissed Tabitha's engorged sack and gained confidence from the gasp from her lover. Spurred on by the response, Dove cupped Tabitha's balls in her hand and started to gently suck at the soft skin.

Tabitha moaned as Dove's actions exposed her heated nether regions to the air and again as Dove moved away from the sack and started licking around her rod. Now warmed up, the familiar made a trail of kisses up the shaft before taking the tip into her mouth.

Dove bobbed her head several times, letting her mouth wet a little more of the rod each time and allowing her throat to adjust to Tabitha's girth as Dove came closer to the base. Hearing her lover's gasps and moans let Dove relax and enjoy the taste of Tabitha's pre-cum.

As her mouth got to work, Dove's fingers darted for her own panties and pulled them down enough to allow her to rub herself in excitement. A shiver of carnal pleasure assaulted Dove as her fingers felt her swollen and hot pussy.

'Screw it,' she thought before drawing her head back and letting Tabitha's dick fall out of her mouth. Tabitha's readiness was still apparent as a string of pre-cum connected the tip with Dove's mouth for a second before falling away.

Tabitha looked down at the loss before smiling lustfully. Dove walked forwards on her knees until Tabitha's tip was brushing against her stomach. Leaning back, Dove positioned the end of the rod against her folds, brushing the tip several times to help with mounting. That done, Dove closed her eyes and let out a loud moan that was echoed by Tabitha as she sank down slightly, allowing the first couple of inches to press into her.

Pulling back up until just the tip was inside, Dove let herself have a couple seconds to relax before once more pushing down. This repeated several times as Dove adjusted to the new addition inside her. Eventually, she pushed down and met Tabitha's hips. As Dove looked down, she could see no sign of the rod inside her, only her pussy firmly planted where Tabitha's own slit would usually start.

Dove took a second to consider before flopping onto Tabitha's chest and hugging her lover. The feeling of Tabitha's dick pressing against Dove's walls as it attempted to stand straight registered as Dove rolled to her side. Holding Tabitha inside of her with her legs, Dove pulled the blue haired mage up so that their previous positions were reversed.

Tabitha had a moment of pure pleasure before it was torn away by a sudden feeling of vertigo. When she looked at Dove, the familiar stated heatedly, "Last time, I fucked you. Now it's your turn to do me. Start!"

Tabitha hesitated a moment as she reoriented herself in her new position, but quickly moved to obey. As she sat up from her lover, Tabitha bent her legs and pulled back slightly, allowing her to put most of her weight on her legs. She placed one hand just above Dove's stomach while the other cupped a breast. Dove gasped slightly as Tabitha pulled several inches out of Dove in her movements.

Now ready to begin, Tabitha pulled back even more, letting the air brush against her cock. Without warning, she forced her hips forward, thrusting deep into Dove. Dove gasped in pleasure and slight pain at Tabitha's forceful thrust.

As Dove's legs parted to allow Tabitha closer, the mage felt a firm resistance at her tip when she was fully sheathed. Tabitha took a second to feel the warmth of Dove before pulling back. Her next thrust was firm but not nearly as deep. A few more strokes and Tabitha had a steady rhythm of quick and shallow thrusts.

When Dove had been on top, it had been long and deep, like riding a dragon. Tabitha, though, was stabbing forward like a woodpecker. Quick thrusts that brought a combination of pain and pleasure to Dove as her pussy attempted to adjust to the length brutalizing it.

Dove's head rolled back and her mouth hung open as she gasped for breath from the sensations coming from her core. When Tabitha went at it, she did her best. Dove could feel her lower body grow warmer, delicious pressure building.

Tabitha's breathing started to get heavier as she felt her balls tighten, ready to unload their seed deep into the womb. She deepened her strokes, using her will to hold back her climax. 'First time was more in the heat of the moment,' she thought, remembering the basics of safe sex as she tried to convince her body to pull out, 'It's not safe to cum inside.' Her body refused, though, as the battle between not cumming and pulling out stalled both.

Before she could do either, she felt Dove's legs lock behind her back. Tabitha glanced up as the familiar tilted her head back in orgasm. As the mage stopped thrusting and began to try and pull out, Dove tightened her legs, plunging Tabitha all the way into her.

"What, do you think, you're doin'?" Dove asked in broken sentences as she came.

Tabitha felt a spasm pass through her as she used her iron will to keep her orgasm at bay while blurting out, "Cu-"

"What?" Dove asked, her breathing evening out as her orgasm wore off.

"Tried...pull out. Preg-, got lucky...first time," Tabitha argued in halting words as she fought against herself. As she finished the sentence, Tabitha let her control slip away. Her pulse pounded in her ears and her dick tensed as she thrust forward by instinct.

As the tip of her cock brushed against the same firm barrier as before, Tabitha felt her first shot spurt out. Dove gasped, feeling the spurt of semen inside of her. One shot quickly turned into more as Tabitha ground her hips against Dove's, causing Dove's pussy tense and milk the cock sheathed inside of her.

Tabitha quietly collapsed onto Dove as she finished, panting for breath. Putting her arms around her girlfriend, Dove basked in the almost uncomfortably hot feeling of Tabitha's semen settling into her womb. As Tabitha's rod began to retract out of Dove, both girls could feel the hot ejaculate trickle from Dove's opening as it covered Tabitha's sack and Dove's anus.

Finally gathering her breathe, Tabitha looked up at Dove and muttered, "Sorry."

"Don't care," Dove shot back before she paused and bit her lip as she put a bit more thought into those words. "I don't care. If it's yours, then I don't care. Do you want children?" Her question was hesitant as she had never really put much thought into kids beyond a general sense.

Thought seemed paused for Tabitha as she processed that thought. Her face was completely open as several expressions crossed her face in their private moment.

Did she want that? It sounded so good, but at the same time her position was so dangerous that to have a vulnerability like a child... Her own mother was bedridden with insanity because they had tried to attack her daughter.

Dove suddenly sat up and kissed her hungrily while spilling more cum out onto Tabitha's limp tip. Tabitha shivered as Dove's tongue licked at her own lips as if seeking entrance before pulling back a bit.

"I told you I would have to kiss you every time you stopped thinking about me," Dove said coyly before adding in a serious voice, "Make love to me, cum in me, I don't care. It is you and I want you. The rest of the world can burn for all I care, so long as we're together."

Dove lowered herself back to the bed and looked up at her lover, relaxing her legs to let her move freely.

Tabitha shivered as she looked into her lover's eyes. She wanted that so bad, and she had served her country for years, been withheld rank advancement, given so much of her time and blood for a man she hated. She could afford to be a bit greedy now.

With her decision made, Tabitha surprised her lover by leaning down and reaching under Dove's body to pull her off the bed and hold her close. Tabitha looked up along Dove's body until their eyes locked.

"Fine, if it happens then it happens," she answered and smiled at the joyous expression that crossed Dove's face before she returned to her important duties.

Dove giggled, the weight of that decision no longer on her mind. "Then I hope you're ready," Dove teased as the pleasure started building in her womb again, "because I'm going to ride you all night."

Tabitha just grinned and let Dove slip down a little bit, creating a slimy trail of semen and Dove's own juices against the mage's stomach. This ended as Dove's bottom met the growing length of Tabitha's cock as the blue-haired girl became excited and ready for action once again.

Dove squealed and bucked her hips in pleasure at the sudden warmth resting against her pussy.

"Come on," she muttered, rolling her hips on Tabitha's inflating pecker. Hearing her lover's words, Tabitha reached down and clamped one hand on Dove's clit while her mouth nibbled on her nipple and her other squeezed Dove's ass.

Dove gasped as the new pleasure took her attention away from the shaft below her. Taking the opportunity, Tabitha grabbed her semi-hard dick and placed its tip at Dove's entrance. Before the familiar could do anything, Tabitha let her drop down onto the shaft. Tabitha groaned as it felt like her dick was engulfed in warm liquid and seized in a soft but powerful clamp as she pierced Dove's tense opening.

The blue haired mage smiled at Dove's pleasured face as she slowly stroked her dick back to life inside the elf. "Bet I can last longer," she challenged with a devious smirk.

Dove answered with an equally devious one and suddenly attacked her lover's breasts. "You're on," she said before licking her lips and pulling Tabitha into a kiss. Tabitha gasped in surprise that was muffled into Dove's mouth and let Dove gain dominance over her tongue in the kiss.

The familiar mouth wrestled with her lover until her vision started to get a little blurry before breaking off and suddenly jerking her hips. "Keep going," she ordered lustfully as she massaged Tabitha's breasts.

Tabitha responded by changing the rhythm of her thrusts, pushing in with short, powerful movements that gave caused Dove to jerk a bit each time. When Tabitha began drawing back with agonizingly slow strokes, Dove was certain she could feel every vein in the male anatomy as it exited her before another shuddering thrust made her lose track of her thoughts.

While her hips were busy, Tabitha's hands went to work as well. She began kneading and pulling on her lover's butt before going up to her breasts to weight them softly and play with the stiff nipples before sliding back along the outlines of her muscles back to her butt for another squeeze.

Dove groaned in delicious pain. The room felt like the skin of the sun, her vagina felt like it was being abused, the smell of Tabitha's semen spurting out every hard thrust blocked out every other smell, and she loved it.

"Hey Dove, wh-" Dove didn't even give a rip that someone had just barged into her room.

'Wait,' her mind said, 'Yes you do.'

"GaaaHHH!" Dove cried as she covered herself with Tabitha.

Tabitha herself, on the other hand, wasn't all that concerned. This was her friend and she was alright with her seeing this.

Kirche just stared as her mind tried to process what she was witnessing. Tabitha was nude and on her knees in-between the legs of some panicking woman that she couldn't quite see around her friends body but could only be Dove since it was her room.

Ignoring the entrance of Kirche, Tabitha continued her thrusts into Dove. More than once she had walked in on Kirche doing the same with someone else.

"Are you?" Kirche started before shaking her head, there wasn't really any other thing they could be doing in that position. "And didn't invite me?" she went with the next incredulous thought.

Tabitha had a quick mental conversation with herself, weighing Dove's possible reactions to inclusion in comparison to Kirche's if she was left out, before coming to a decision. Turning to Dove and pausing her strokes, she asked, "Do you mind if she joins? She was asking for permission a little while ago."

Dove groaned in despair and covered her face as the situation she found herself in.

Kirche took her nonverbal response as something that wasn't a no, and immediately popped the few buttons holding her strained blouse closed and moved in.

"So," she asked as she walked around and grinned down at Dove's flushed and embarrassed expression, "Have you ever been with anyone apart from Tabitha?"

Dove groaned as the heat in her face overcame the heat in the rest of her body. Kirche giggled as she leaned forwards to give Dove a full view at her half cup bra as she slowly slid her skirt down her tanned legs.

Dove wasn't going to deny that Kirche was a woman that many men and even women would lust after. "Tabitha's mine," she stated, looking up defiantly at Kirche's smirk. This one fact she would fight over, if nothing else.

"I can live with that," Kirche commented as she teased the elastic of her black and red thong, "So long as I can play with the both of you tonight."

Thankfully, Dove was already blushing as much as she physically could so the words she said along with the sight of Kirche's natural red lower hair above her folds didn't cause her to get any redder.

"You know," Kirche said as her bra came off and she became completely nude, "I've always wanted to try a threesome with another girl. You don't mind being the guy in this, right Tabby? There's this position that I've always wanted to try where the guy does one girl like a dog while she licks the other girl's entrence. Do you think we can try that tonight?"

Apparently Dove could blush a deeper red.

* * *

In his room, Julio poured over the worn book he had taken from the vault. He wasn't entirely sure why he felt this way, but he was certain that the answer to all his questions regarding Skyrim could be found in here.

He found the fact that the one word that could have drawn his attention to this book just happened to be the first one he saw, that this book just happened to be one of the first he had picked up down in the vault. It had to be the will of Brimir that had led him to it.

The will of an all knowing being had led him to this book so it must be useful.

Now he was digging through it like a man possessed. He had to find the knowledge that had escaped him from his observations of Dove. He wasn't entirely sure what he was missing, but something told him he would find it here.

"Skyrim is a province of the Tamriel empire. This frozen land has also been known by names like 'the Old kingdom' or the 'Fatherland'. It was the first region of Tamriel that was settled by humans from the continent of Atmora. Their descendants are the modern-day hardy Nords who still dominate the territory," he read out loud in interest.

"Skyrim was originally inhabited by a race of Mer known as the Snow Elves, or Falmer," Julio shuddered at the mention of those goblin like monstrosities. Shaking his head, he read on, "Though after the Atmoran-Snow Elf War, the Snow Elves were destroyed and the Atmorans settled the land. YES!" he cried in triumph.

Eagerly, he kept on reading, "Skyrim is bordered by Morrowind to the east, Cyrodiil to the south, Hammerfell to the southwest, and High Rock to the west. The island of Solstheim lies to the Northeast."

It was all so interesting, to say the least. If there were other continents, then why hadn't they met with up them before? He would have to ask Professor Colbert or maybe Osmond, they would know the world much better than he did.

'In fact,' Julio realized, 'This entire thing is getting too hard for just me to handle alone. Pope Vittorio had sent me here to keep an eye on Tristan and the war they had found themselves on the front line of. Now though, I think I might need an extra hand.'

Elves under the academy of magic was unacceptable and would require a constant watchful eye that he just couldn't afford right now. Getting up and abandoning the book, Falman Julio penned a quick report to the Pope.

'Who to ask for,' he mused when he reached that portion of the letter. Whomever he asked for needed to be either competent and loyal enough to the church to obey him or already his junior but still competent enough to complete the tasks given.

There were plenty of older people in the church who could lead and lead well, but he didn't want someone who was autonomous enough for them to make important decisions by themselves without him.

On the other hand, there weren't nearly as many competent people who were lower in the hierarchy of the church.

'Although,' Julio thought, remembering someone, 'Would Falman Bevier be able to do it?'

Falman Bevier was a dark-haired man about as old as Julio. He was newer to the church since he had started his life as a son of a lesser noble and had only taken his oaths because of a famous disagreement between his father.

Julio didn't know what the argument had been about, all he knew was that in the end Bevier had left his father's estate with no intention of returning. He had sworn himself to the church and had moved up its structure quickly ever since.

Bevier was a very serious kind of individual who could be often found praying alone or reading in one of the churches libraries. He would listen and obey Julio simply because of his dedication to the church's hierarchy.

This hierarchy would mark Julio as Bevier's superior and at the same time his years as a noble's son would have given him a natural ability to lead and training to further those skills. The more Julio remembered about Bevier, the more he was convinced that he was the right man for this job if the Pope could spare him.

Decision made, Julio finished his letter updating the pope on his plans for Dove's potion, about the recently discovered elf problem at the academy, and his request of reinforcements to deal with both.

Message complete, Julio quickly left to send it before returning to study the book.

* * *

 **It was both so hard, and so easy to write this chapter.**

 **THAT WASN"T AN INNUENDO.**

 **Anyway.**

 **Have a good day/night!**


	61. Prepping for arrival

**Julio looked around the hall.**

 **Nothing to his left,**

 **Nothing to his right.**

 **He took a deep breath, steeling his nerves for whatever was coming next.**

 **"Snipern0sniping doesn't own Familiar of Zero or Skyrim."**

 **As soon as the words were out of his mouth a Falmer jumped out of the ceiling and stabbed him.**

* * *

 **There will be lime-ish moments in this chapter**

* * *

 **Touhou is Life: maybe a breton or elf.**

 **RedBurningDragon: He's not going to die by Snu Snu, that is too good for him.**

 **Z.R. Stein: I think that emoji looks like your profile picture. Thanks for the Kudos.**

 **Telron: *Flinches when he notices that the ground is slimy. The hall suddenly turns pink and squishy and where you place your hand is enveloped. Twisting, pulling and phasing does no good as the fleshy ground simply won't let go. A pair of geta sandals appear in front of you. "Ninja art: toad mouth trap, you have just been swallowed by the mountain toad." The old man with long white hair and a headband with the kanji for oil on it leaned down to be a face level with you. "Welcome to the belly of the beast."** **jiraiya** **looks over your shoulder and smirks, "By the way, it looks like one of the girls survived your explosion."**

 **Guest: Yes she does. She might be unbearable for our pink haired mage from now on.**

 **hunter81095: I agree, the last chapter was by-en-large: me taking a breather after the tunnels. Immediately after writing that long Lemon scene I found myself suddenly relived, more at ease and able to write again. Sorry if it wasn't completely to your tastes.**

 **helkil: Thank you.**

 **TheENDstyler: Dove is most assuredly pregnant by this stage.**

 **The One True Slacker: True that.**

 **NuggetMuncher: Sheogorath made it so that Tabitha's dick will disappear when Dove gets pregnant.**

 **XSDStitch: Are you talking about Mora? I am basing the newcomer off of a very good book series I've read where a bunch of 'Church knights' went on a quest together. He will be smart but will need to be beaten over the head a few times to stop blindly following the churches leadership. He would be in the most torment if you send him to Sanguine.**

 **BlitzkriegHOSS:... *Sigh, Thanks for sharing.**

 **darkromdemon: Possibly. (Daedric family reunion!)**

 **Cyclinity: How do you make that emoji? I have almost no skill with emoji and it sucks sometimes! (Pouting emoji) Hopefully you won't want to stab the new guy too much.**

 **Engineer4Ever: If I went back and wrote the entire threesome then I would have to put the rest of the story on hold for another chapter and I want to move on already.**

 **Dur'id the Druid: 0.0 No it doesn't! See, there is one! I totally didn't go back and fix that error by adding one afterwards because it already was there! *denial.**

 **Dovgrahdeen: I wouldn't think of it as porn Dovgrahdeen, think of it as your favorite niece is moving on to a new stage in life. She will discover so many things as she grows up and you were there to see the first.**

 **Carre: I haven't seen the trailer, it might be interesting to see what you're talking about.**

 **dreaddragonkight: Wow. Seriously, Wow. In just over half a week you have read my entire story and posted a review on every chapter. Wow. You know, it was actually kind of nerve racking to get all of those.**

 **Nightseeker: Nope, he has long hair and a beard/mustache that is grey, it appears that grey is his natural color but it makes him look older than I think he is in the anime. Thanks.**

 **pltrgst: Miss spelled name.**

 **RedLightingD608: I also want to have more Dove, It's just that there hasn't been a good time to have her. Can you imagine how cramped it would have been to have Dragon Dove in the tunnels? I think she would spend more time as a Dragon during the war.**

 **Guest: And I'm looking forwards to your constant review.**

* * *

 **Beta'd by evevee**

* * *

Dove joined her class of Musketeers later than usual the next day. Everyone had been waiting so long that they had almost decided to leave by the time she stumbled through the door.

After she had woken up that morning, Dove had been more than a little irked to feel a dull ache between her legs. Unlike the pleasurable itch of sexual tension, this felt like someone had bruised everything from her crotch to her womb. Even after a slightly longer soak in her bathtub it still hurt.

To add to her irritation, Kirche and Tabitha hadn't looked any different than when they went to bed. The two of them had their own ways of dealing with last night. Tabitha had risen a bit earlier then her lover and just put on her clothes with only a slightly wider gait while Kirche had slept in a bit but had risen gracefully, completely refreshed and ready for the day.

Both had found Dove's groaning and gentle rubbing of her lower lips to soothe them rather amusing.

Dove had eventually gotten tired of their smothered giggles and thrown the nearest thing of any weight, that being the plate from last night, at them. They had taken this as a bad sign and scurried away.

Now Dove was forced to go through the day with a painfully obvious stride. Already some of the other servants had dropped hints that they were aware of her 'wild night', damn gossipers, and others had tried to figure out who she had been with.

She had sent them on their way with a not so subtle growl and returned to her task, ignoring both the pain and the amused conversations around her.

-[]-

"Today," Dove said as she staggered to the front of the class, "we're going to be practicing our basic healing spells." She then looked around for Agnes, "Has anyone seen Agnes? I want her to practice fast healing."

"She said that she was going to be busy today," Lela offered, "and that we should go to class without her." Dove frowned. Agnes should have been able to read that book already if she was half as determined as Dove thought she was.

"Alright," Dove said, dropping the topic of Agne. "Healing spells are used to mend wounds and kill pain," 'and undead.' "So, to start, we're going to heal your wounds."

"Our wounds? None of us are hurt, Miss Bosquet," one of the front students said with a frown.

"Then I guess we'll have to make some," Dove said with a sigh. "First, everyone is going to split into groups of two, then one of you will use your spray spell to injure your partner on the arm followed by said partner healing the wound."

"WHAT?" the class cried as one before breaking into a cacophony of individual voices crying their disagreements.

"QUIET!" Dove took a step forwards and shouted over the noise, winching as action pulled on an abused part of her body. "This is the best way to teach self-healing. It's also the fastest. I suspect that you're all going to need this skill in the coming months, so I will teach it to you, even if it hurts."

The reminder of the war they were in quieted the class down. Dove looked around before driving her point home, "People will get hurt, and some will die." She looked around again at her students, searching for signs of anyone taking this lightly.

Lots of people she had encountered in Tristain had acted like they were invincible just because they had magic. True, many of the mages she has been around had been kids, but even among the adults there seemed to be this cocky idea that they could do no wrong.

The only ones who didn't have that level of arrogance were those with combat experience, and based on what she was seeing now, her students. Dove chalked their realism up to having been commoners before her potion.

"This will help bring your odds of survival up," Dove continued, "and help you learn to control the amount of damage you do with the spray spell."

"But isn't there another way?" one of the students asked.

Dove tilted her head and thought for a moment before nodding. "We could use the spell despite not being injured," Dove said, "but the scholars back in Skyrim were in the midst of studying what happened to the body if someone tried healing without being injured."

Dove frowned as she remembered a lecture she had gotten from Colette, the most experienced mage in the restoration school of magicka in the college of winterhold, about how damaging it was to skin and muscles.

"One of my friends was helping with the research and was able to name some of the effects would happen and would sometimes share her findings with me," Dove shuddered as she remembered some of the long terms effects her friend had talked about. "Some of the effects she mentioned include a sense of euphoria, dizziness, nose bleeds, loss of hair, swellings, and odd growths on the body."

The class looked a little green at the idea of growths. "The basic idea she found is that Magicka, when used for healing, needs something to do or it starts looking for things to fix even if it's not broken and results in the magicka running rampant through the body," Dove summarized the lecture she had received.

"That's why I want you to do it this way," Dove finished, "It might be safe to use healing on yourselves without being injured a few times, but I want you to practice at least an hour a day until you're no longer under my tutelage. Meaning that if you're not injured in some manner while learning, then there most likely will be issues by the end."

The class was silent as they accepted Dove's reasoning. "Be sure not to hurt yourself too much," Dove said with a with a worried expression, "I will be walking back and forth between the groups just in case, but please be careful."

The group nodded and started pairing off.

Dove watched them as they separated into pairs, already waiting to jump in if anyone was hurt too badly. She didn't have to like this part even if it was necessary with their teaching schedule.

She had learned to use Healing magicka the more common way: scrapes from falling, not quite dodging that trap, enemies that were a bit faster or more skilled than she had been or being overwhelmed. It was a much slower way to learn, but it was just as effective as what they were doing now.

Her respect for the restoration school had increased when she had gotten Colette drunk and heard how some people learned the craft.

The first of many exclamations of pain came from her students as she readied to move in to help. Dove internally groaned as her shifting from standing back to leaning forwards moved her hips.

* * *

After the class was finished, Dove made her way to the kitchens.

"Heyo!" Dove greeted the entire room happily as she entered her original work space. The kitchen was full of people going about their various tasks to prepare the next meal.

"Hi Dove," Siesta answered the greeting with a glance around from where she was pulling out the plates and cutlery for lunch from a large cabinet.

"So, what's on the menu for today?" Dove asked, walking over towards Martone.

"Chicken and cranberry salad, and fresh apple slices with strawberry lemon pudding," Martone answered as he watched the roasting chicken to see when they were done.

"Are you going to be alright working today?" he asked, glancing up at a confused Dove. "You did spend the entire afternoon in your room," he clarified, "Just want to make sure everything is alright."

Dove smirked as she remembered what happened in her room all evening. "I am fine~" she purred, a light blush creeping up her neck.

Martone intently watched her reaction before giving a nod, "Alright, if you're sure." It wasn't his business if the rumors he had seen bloom were true or not.

Dove then smiled as an idea came to her. "I fell down," she fibbed, "and hurt my hips while helping Captain Agnes look for something important to her. That's why I was in my room for the rest of the day, to get off my feet."

Martone and half of the others listening in nodded in understanding while the other half of the staff called BS.

"Alright," Martone said, bringing the attention back to the meal, "Can you start on the strawberry slices for the pudding?"

"Sure thing," Dove chirruped before moving over to wash her hands and start. She was glad that she got to work on the pudding, there was something about the idea of working with chicken right now that turned her stomach.

* * *

Class passed rather slowly for Tabitha. She had long since figured out the lesson in the lecture provided today by Chevreuse the Red Sand on the effects of sand and dirt over time to form rock. Instead, she was reading something much more important behind her text book.

'- with this phase of his stratagem complete, Ser Ferris the Gale was able to cut off the advancing Germalian's infantry from the main body of the army. The Commoner levies were unable to make it back to the army because of the good Ser's forces blocking their retreat and the Cavalry was unable to attack because of their placement on a small but steep ridge.'

'Faced with the surety of their destruction, the commander of the Infantry surrendered before the loss of life could reach levels that-'

"Hey, Tabby," a voice, pitched to be audible but not carry, interrupted Tabitha's reading of her family history.

Glancing up and towards the voice, Tabitha found her friend Kirche grinning over at her. "Do you think we can have another go tonight with Dove?" the passionate and eager, read horny and desperate, redhead asked, pulling at the wide collar of her blouse.

"No," Tabitha replied, and returned to her book.

"Please?" Kirche begged. Last night had 'scratched' her itch and now she could feel it building again. It wasn't helped by the memories that were really pushing her back towards the edge. She wanted it again.

Kirche couldn't get the images out of her mind. Last night had been the best lay she had had since she had discovered what men could do with a penis. It felt so good when Dove had been between her legs sucking on her clit while Tabitha's thrusts sent shock waves up the other woman's body and to her neglected button.

Kirche could feel herself heating with Zerbst flames as her passion drove her desire for the two other women. She was seriously tempted to play with herself up until Tabitha's next words brought her fantasies crashing down around her ears.

"No, it disappeared," Tabitha answered back, her tone dropping so that only Kirche sitting next to her could hear, before going back to her book as if she hadn't said anything important.

"WHAT!?" Kirche exclaimed as she shot to her feet, completely forgetting that they were in a full classroom.

"Is there something you wish to share with the class?" Miss Chevreuse asked, fixing the student with a look.

"Ah, no, no miss Chevreuse," Kirche answered quickly before sitting down again and picking up her book as if pretending to read it would get the teacher to ignore her again.

Fortunately, the teacher returned to her lecture after a moment of making sure her point had taken.

As soon as the teacher's attention was away from her, Kirche returned to the crisis at hand.

"What do you mean it's disappeared?" she whispered.

"Getting dressed in new clothes this morning," Tabitha said nonchalantly while her eyes quickly scanned the room to see if any of the other students were listening in. "It wasn't there."

Kirche was shocked, and horrified. She had just managed to get them to agree to a night together and now one of the finest part of the night had disappeared.

"What are you going to do about it?" she settled on asking. It affected Tabitha more than her anyway, so she needed to make sure she was alright before looking after herself.

"Going to talk to Dove, see what she thinks," Tabitha answered when she was sure that the others didn't care. She was perfectly alright with the loss, it was rather awkward walking with male genitalia hanging between female hips. She did want to know what happened to make it leave, but wasn't upset over it disappearing.

"Do you think you should go see the nurse again?" Kirche offered.

"Possibly," Tabitha said turning a page. It wasn't killing her right now, so she would ignore it.

* * *

Dove was done with lunch after snagging a few apple slices. She wasn't feeling hungry but knew she needed to eat something to tide her over to dinner.

Her stomach didn't like the apples and rebelled on her anyways, but she kept them down easily enough while walking. She needed to water her plants and find a blacksmith willing to let her take over his shop for the day.

She wanted to smelt the ores she had collected into usable materials on top of planning her new armor. She was thinking that maybe her father could send her some dragon scales to work in with the soon to be daedric metals.

"Dove!" a male voice called out to her as she passed an open hallway. Pausing, Dove glanced down the hall and saw Professor Colbert coming down the way towards her.

"Yes?" she asked, confused. He looked extremely excited, subtly bouncing like a child on a sugar high.

"I read some of that Lexicon we discovered," Colbert started, talking very quickly, "It was so incredible. There were detailed descriptions for the Spheres we were fighting and there were descriptions of flying machines! Did you know that the Dwemer could fly on machines instead of relying on dragons or griffins?"

Dove shrugged. "A few old stories said they could, but I wasn't really into old stories." 'Unless they were coming back to literally bite me,' she added.

"Well, they could," Colbert informed her before deflating a bit. "I was wondering if you had heard anything more about their flying capabilities so that I could add it to the Lexicon."

Dove patted the man's shoulder awkwardly, "Sorry."

"It's alright. Maybe I can combine what I know about the aircraft with the information of the Lexicon," Colbert was already thinking out loud instead of regretting Dove's lack of information.

"Why do you want to fly?" Dove asked with interest. "You are a mage, a respected researcher, and professor of one of the most well-known academies on the continent, so surely any noble would be alright with you riding on one of their familiars."

"No," Colbert said, shaking his head. "Most flying familiars are held in high regard by their noble companions. It would be wrong of me to ask to ride one if it was only for my personal enjoyment."

"I see," Dove said as she absorbed that fact.

"…So, what's going on with you?" Colbert asked, pulling himself out of his thoughts and realizing that he might have been rude by not asking the lady.

"I've got my garden to tend to and a few other personal projects to work on," Dove answered. 'Should I try contacting Akatosh at my cave or wait until I find a blacksmith?' she wondered as she hadn't thought that far ahead.

"I didn't know you had a garden," Colbert replied, making small talk.

"I needed to have a reliable source of ingredients for my potion," Dove said to the pacifist. "I can't exactly just tell the palace, 'Sorry I ran out,' now, can I?"

"Oh," Colbert said, saddened by Dove making what in his mind amounted to weapons instead of putting her creation to good use.

"Anyway," Dove said, looking out and checking the height of the sun, "I need to water them now." A thought then occurred to Dove and she asked, "By the way, you wouldn't happen to have any mortar in your study, would you? Or know where I can find some?"

Colbert nodded, "I have some. What do you need mortar for?" He was at least helpful, even if he wasn't fully committed to what was happening. It was surprising that she would ask for some since any earth mage could create simple stone creations with a wave of their wands.

"Just some stone work," Dove said with a shrug. She had always planned that her temporary garden beds would be just that: temporary. To make stone ones, she needed some water proof mortar. She could make some herself but she was glad Colbert had some already.

"I can get you the raw powder," Colbert offered, "Just tell me where you need me to take it."

"I just need to be shown where it is," Dove said quickly, "I don't want others to know where my garden is, if that's alright with you."

Colbert frowned at the odd request before deciding that the less people knowing where or how her potion was made, the better. "Alright, I'll show you where I keep the mortar," Colbert granted.

"Thank you," Dove smiled. One less thing on her list. She could try talking to Akatosh after the garden beds were done.

* * *

Dove came by to collect the mortar much later in the day, after all her classes were done before heading out to her cave.

As she marched her way through the tunnel, Dove couldn't stop a truly happy grin from spreading across her face. There was very little that she didn't love more than working with her hands.

Making things topped everything except for possibly cooking, fighting, and enchanting. All four things were in her top five favorite things to do.

Once she had arrived in her cave, Dove placed the mortar by the entrance and checked on her plants. The Jazbay grapes were starting to bear fruit and the red mountain flowers were starting to bloom, so Dove harvested what she could to stockpile before she moved over to the wall behind where she had set up her bed and started picking at the stone of the wall.

She had kept the pickaxe from the ruin. She had decided to keep it here in the cave for further renovations. While she dug, Dove made sure to be very careful with her strokes. If she did this right, she could end up with shelves built into the wall as well as having a set of stone beds for the plants.

Dove hacked at the wall, moving vast amounts of stone with her swings. The rock was sedimentary stone that came off in what looked like flakes of shale, if she remembered correctly. Once she had a hand sized hole in the wall to maneuver in, Dove could break off an entire shelf worth of stone with very little effort.

Pulling the shelf out left a perfectly sized cavity in the wall for her glassware, and the large slab she just removed would be a perfect capstone for her beds. Now she needed some gravel to build up the walls.

Moving to another section of wall by her bed, Dove decided to make an alcove where she could build a mannequin to put her armor up. Aiming her strikes high, Dove started smashing through the shelves making up the wall in this section, creating much smaller but still near square pieces of rock.

A while later, Dove finally had enough. From there, she mixed water into a bucket with the mortar and started building up the wall around sides of her pond. Working steadily, Dove was able to build a foot-tall wall around the back half of the pond before changing directions and flaring the path outwards and back towards the wall on both sides.

Standing back, Dove admired her handiwork. The pool now had two large circles around it that filled almost half of the room. Once she filled them with dirt she could create a small dike to funnel the water from the stream that filled the pond to the garden beds.

"Now I need lots of dirt," Dove muttered, "and more plants."

Picking up her already existing planters, Dove maneuvered them onto the beds that would be their new home soon. Going back down the tunnel, Dove dug at some of the sharper corners and low spots in her entrance, moving the dirt back towards the central area and into the beds.

Noticing the sky, Dove stopped when she had only one of the beds completed. It would soon be dark out and she didn't want to summon up Akatosh in the dark.

She wasn't quite sure how to summon a Aedra, but she knew she didn't want to wait until it was black out to do so. She decided to try praying first.

"Hey, Akatosh," she started, dropping onto one knee next to the stone garden bed to the left of the pond. Dove really hadn't ever prayed before, but that didn't seem to be a good start, "I hope this isn't a bad time for you, but I was just wondering. Can we talk? I need to discuss somethings with you and ask a favor if that's alright. Thanks, your daughter."

Well, she sure felt like a fool. She was a person of action, talking to thin air for answers didn't feel right to her.

"Need something?" a voice from the pond answered her prayer.

Dove turned to look and was half surprised to find a floating ball of light hovering at head height above the water.

"What is with powerful beings and appearing as balls of light?" Dove mused before shaking her head and changing back to her original thoughts, "Akatosh."

"Dovahkiin," the voice of her dragon father emanating from the sphere, "You asked for me?"

"Yes," Dove said, "I would like to know if you could give me some materials to work with, dragon scales and bones to be specific. I'm trying to make a suit of armor from daedric metal and dragon scale."

The ball of light dimmed a bit and a moment of silence reigned before Akatosh's voice returned. "Why do you want to mix Daedric and Aedra materials? Why not just us the dragon scale armor I have already gifted you?" There was a pout in the voice, Dove was sure of it, at the insinuation that she wouldn't be wearing the dragon scale.

"I want to try a new configuration," Dove answered, "I've noticed where the daedric plates have served me well while in combat and where the flexibility of the scale proved a benefit. I want to create something new. For the armor I already have, I want to refit it for a smaller person's body."

"You want to give the armor to someone else?" Akatosh asked before seeing where this was going, "Your lover by chance?" His tone was teasing but there was a note of approval in it as well.

"Maybe," Dove answered while a small blush appeared on her face.

Akatosh chuckled before appearing to give it some thought. "It isn't within my capabilities to bring you any daedric materials," Akatosh said, "but I could bring you some of the things you've collected from your home back in Skyrim."

Akatosh then paused before adding, "Or I can build a gate from here to the home I provided you in my realm and another to the time wound in Skyrim."

Dove's jaw dropped at what her father said. Was going home just that easy?

"No, sending you back isn't that easy," Akatosh's voice was amused as he apparently read her mind, "You'll need to build an altar and use a blood sacrifice on it like you did at Skyhaven temple, as well as use the blood of a dragon of this world for me to open the way."

The tone of Akatosh's voice then changed to a somewhat pompous one, "I'm offering to do this for you because I don't want to keep on opening and closing windows into this world every little time you want something from Skyrim or when I want to check in on you. Do you have any idea as to how hard it is to do that? Simply put: a 'door' would be easier to maintain once you do this ritual."

Dove quickly pulled her thoughts together and reiterated what her godly father had just said. "So you can open a door for me to use to go back to Skyrim?" she asked, confused but then added, "And what do you mean by 'check in' on me?"

"Well," Akatosh responded, and choosing to ignore the second question, "remember back when you visited my realm when you first died? I told you that you can just fly while letting your instincts take over to find my realm again."

Dove did remember but honestly hadn't given going home much thought. "From there," Akatosh continued, "you and I can easily set up a portal from my realm to the time wound on top of the Throat of the World to get from my realm to Skyrim."

"However, I'm expecting that you'll not want to be in dragon form when you fly back from my realm to Tristain. Which is what you'd have to do with the way the world is set up currently. Basically, the gate would be so that you can come and go between Skyrim and Tristain without needing to be in a dragon form."

"So you're offering to create a way for me to travel on foot instead of by wing?" Dove reiterated to make sure she was hearing this right.

Akatosh's ball 'nodded'. "Exactly," he said, "For ease of travel if nothing else, since you can't carry anything in your natural dragon form."

"Wouldn't that leave your realm open to invasion by Tristain or one of the other countries?" Dove asked, still surprised by the offer.

"HA!" Akatosh laughed loudly, pride and humor bleeding from his tone, "As if any of these joor could cause me even a moment of worry. The weakest of my children could wipe their armies from the face of their world, let alone in my own realm of Oblivion. You amuse me daughter."

Dove rolled her eyes at the Dragon God's arrogant speech. "If you say so," she groused.

* * *

 **I want to bring in some Skyrim characters.**

 **Akatosh is too lazy to constantly open gates into Tristain.**

 **We worked something out between the two of us.**


	62. Church reinforcement

**Julio's head explodes.**

 **"Wait," Snipern0sniping said while pulling back from the keyboard, "that was a bit too soon, now I have to say it."**

 **"Snipern0sniping doesn't own Skyrim or Familiar of Zero."**

* * *

 **Touhou is Life: I was thinking neon pink oblivion gates. I don't know, but we also don't know anything about elf and dragon pregnancy so it might be faster than a human one.**

 **GunRunner805: At least a housecarl.**

 **LordMesirix: I was thinking about Farkas and Serena at least.**

 **zanpaktospirit0: I imagine that a few of them are rather 'put out' by her by now. :)**

 **Rook115: She loves apples, there just was something about her stomach that disagreed with them that one time.**

 **Mathew5641: Thank you.**

 **Akshka: Great.**

 **Madness beyond: Be afraid, be very afraid ;P. Although, I heard something about a stockpile of magical nukes in the near future that could even things out.**

 **Cyclinity: YES MORTAL, I HAVE GRANTED YOUR PRAYER. NOW YOU MUST SWEAR UNDYING LOYALTY TO ME, INTERNET SENPI!**

 **Slycutter: Most likely.**

 **A-Non-Knee-Moose: I can't get over the image of Julio running into a thalmer patrol. She might bring her gold and material goods, but no army of followers, at most five I think. She's a baroness in name, but has no land to build on yet.**

 **Blackholelord: I want werewolves and vampires at least.**

 **Carre: Thank you, I hope we get to see more Aedra like Akatosh soon. Some of who you've mentioned are coming. You know, this part of the story is at least half inspired by your reviews (I think it was your first one so credit where due).**

 **Telron: "And where do you think you're going?" jiraiya asked catching up to your fart powered thrust. "That was rather foolish since it allowed me to catch up." jiraiya smirked, "Since you can't seem to keep I cork in it then I guess I'll have to help you."**

 **"LEAF VILLAGE SECRET FINGER JUTSU: ONE THOUSAND YEARS OF DEATH!"**

 **You land in surprisingly warm water. Only to hear the most frightening sound in the world, and see a bucket flying at your head. "IEEEEEE! PERVERT!"**

 **TheENDstyler: So basically no one from the church. We should be fine unless the church gets involved.**

 **helkil: She knows that it's a promise necklace, Mara might need to show up to preform the ceremony soon though.**

 **Photogirl5520113: Thank you, it hasn't been easy at times but it's always been fun.**

 **XSDStitch: I want to kill him. I'm just torn between so many good options:)**

 **Writing Gunner: I'm planning on Juilo being out of the picture by the time Dove gives birth.**

 **link01742: I think that is the start to a massive debate.**

 **pedrofaria339: Thanks, if you get a wing man, make sure it's only the god of dragons.**

 **Ilikebob: And very, very short.**

 **dreaddragonknight: Great to know, any ideas of who to bring?**

 **crazyman844: Nope. Whatever your guess is, it is totally wrong ;P.**

 **The One True Slacker: Possibly. halkegenian invading Nirn would be short and hilarious, like a midget clown.**

 **Incarnation of Insanity: Thank you that means a lot. I don't know, I'm going to read up on lizards and humans and choose from there.**

 **shadow: So do I!**

* * *

 **Beta'd by evevee**

* * *

Kurik Black was a blacksmith who made most of his livelihood repairing metal tools for farmers and filling out orders for the army, with the odd request from the mages from the nearby school thrown in every now and then.

Today however, he had received what was probably the strangest of request ever given to him. A mage was asking to 'borrow' his forge for the day. The noble woman, yet strangely wearing maid's dress, had come in and asked him if she could use his forge instead of just demanding it from him.

"Lady," Kurik started, unsure of what to say. He had halfheartedly nodded when she had asked like any good commoner would, but now he was curious and unsure if he was allowed to ask, "I hope you don't mind me asking, but what are you planning on doing in my forge?"

Dove looked up from where she was examining the forge bellows to give the man a reassuring smile.

It was the day after her talk with Akatosh and she was determined to at least create the shrine today, if not also perform her half of the blood ritual.

'Remember, I have to ask Tabitha if Sylphid would be willing to lend me some of her blood,' Dove reminded herself before turning her attention back to the man currently looking unsure if her presence was a good or bad thing.

"I'm making a sculpture," Dove said simply deciding that using the word 'shrine' would cause too many issues, "I need it made to some very specific measurements and so I want to make it with my own hands. I can pay you for the day though, just to make sure you don't lose anything because of me."

Kurik slowly nodded, touched by the care, as he accepted this reason. "Then I guess my forge is yours, my lady," he said respectfully, "Only, please be gentle with it?"

Dove nodded, "I will. A forge is an extension of the craft master after all. I just need it until about three in the afternoon."

"Thank you." It wasn't his place to question a noble, but now he was at least partially reassured. With his concerns voiced and dealt with, Kurik went over to another section of his work shop to carve the handles and sheaths for the blades he would be making soon.

Dove hummed as she started work by pulling out her lumps of ore.

-[]-

The day was only just beginning. Dove had gotten up much earlier than the sun, before any other servant had even stirred from their beds. It was a hard schedule for Dove to force herself to follow because of how late she had gotten back from her cave, but it was necessary if she wanted to be done today.

Dove had finished working on her garden bed and deciding on where she wanted to build the shrine in her cave before going back to the academy. To her surprise, Agnes hadn't been angry that she had disappeared on her. The blond musketeer hadn't even noticed that she had been gone.

She had been reading that same book and hadn't given any thought to commanding her subordinates, allowing them to just do whatever they wanted to do. Fortunately for Agnes, they were very good soldiers who knew what they were supposed to do, so things weren't falling apart around their ears.

Dove kind of wanted them to fall apart without her, maybe that would drag her out of that book.

Anyway, getting back to bed had been a surprise, what with Tabitha asleep in it. Her lover wasn't under the covers or positioned in any way that looked like intentional sleep, it looked like the young woman had sat down on Dove's bed and fallen asleep there.

Dove had smirked as she slid down into her bed to one side of her lover. Gently pulling her blanket out from under Tabby, Dove slipped in under her covers and shared her bed with Tabby for the night.

-[]-

She was up again after only a few hours rest, kissed Tabitha's still sleeping cheek, secured a disgruntled and sleepy musketeer for guard duty, and left to find herself a willing blacksmith. Fortunately for her, Mr. Black had opened early enough for her to plan.

Her reason for such an early start was the smelting process, making ingots from ore was time consuming work. The estimated time it would take for smelting iron was around three hours and Corundum took even longer, requiring almost four and a half hours.

Starting now, at about four in the morning, she still wouldn't be anywhere near done before the noon meal. Even then there was condensing the bloom, sculpting, and blessings to add.

Akatosh had thankfully given her the two other parts she had been missing to make her statue into a shrine. Since she had all the pieces to her project, she was determined to finish it all in one day.

"You don't need to watch," Dove commented to her bodyguard as she dropped the iron ore into the smelter and added another layer of coal. "This part is basically just standing around waiting for the forge to heat."

"I need to keep on guard as long as I am the bodyguard," the irritated woman snapped. The musketeer Dove had asked to come with her wasn't a morning person, but she would do her duty and remain awake despite the time of day.

"Alright," Dove said with a shrug before gesturing with her hand to ignite the furnace, "Now, we wait."

* * *

Kirche was sneaking looks at her again. Tabitha had gone to Dove's room to inform her about the disappearance of her manhood only to wait for hours and unfortunately fell asleep. Dove must have come in some time after she had fallen asleep because she woke up under the blankets.

After getting up, Tabitha had raced around the academy trying to find Dove, to no avail.

Afterwards, she decided to go to breakfast since Dove was already gone. She was irritated that her lover had come and gone without her being awake to stop and talk to her, and it showed.

Tabitha had marched into the breakfast hall, ignoring the rest of the students around her, with apparently the same blank expression she always had. It took someone close to her to see the irritation in her eyes. They were as sharp as glass and her hands were subtly clenching on her staff before relaxing, only to squeeze like she was trying to get water from the wood again.

Dropping down next to her friend, Tabitha had quickly chanted the habitual prayer to Brimir and demolished her food like it had wronged her.

"Are you alright, Tabs?" Kirche had finally gotten the nerve to ask after Tabitha finished her food. "You're looking a little tense there," she observed diplomatically before messing up, "Did your talk with Dove go bad?"

Tabitha paused and deliberately set down her cutlery before sighing. "I missed her," she said.

Kirche frowned in confusion. "Missed her?" she asked for clarification, "In what way?"

"I fell asleep waiting. She came back, put us to bed, and left in the morning before I woke up," Tabitha summed up the reason for her bad mood quickly before frowning, "I shouldn't have fallen asleep."

It stung her pride as a skilled fighter that someone had been able to put her to bed like a child, ignoring the fact that she was rather young and that that person had been Dove. Add in the fact that she had frantically tried to find Dove when she had woken up, thinking that she couldn't have gone far, and come up empty frustrated her to no end.

"I see," Kirche continued her amateur therapy session. "So, you didn't talk to her yet and you want to, to see if she's figured out anything new about your situation, perhaps make out for an hour or two afterwards, but you missed her because you let down your guard and fell asleep, correct?"

Tabitha nodded unashamedly. She need to breathe and relax, she might have let her guard down and was disappointed with herself, but at the same time she needed to let it go. It was just so hard to do so.

"Well then," Kirche said watching Tabitha try and control her temper, "I guess we'll just need to hunt down Dove."

Tabitha frowned, that was a good idea and it just so happened to be Void day. "Alright," she said, nodding as she accepted Kirche's plan and started implementing it. "The musketeers should know where."

"Great," Kirche mock cheered, "Let's go find ourselves some answers. Have you checked the kitchens or with Professor Colbert, Louise, or Siesta?" Those two were her most likely company apart from the two of them.

"Kitchens yes, Louise no, Siesta yes, Colbert no," Tabitha summed up her morning hunt efficiently.

Kirche looked around the hall, trying to spot her favorite pink haired mage. "I think Louise is still in bed," Kirche concluded since she couldn't spot any signs of the Valliere girl. A smirk appeared on her face. "Want to help me wake her up?"

Tabitha shook her head. "I'll ask the musketeers," she said, already zeroing in on the door leading to where the corps had taken up residence.

"Fine," Kirche huffed. She wasn't nearly as good as Tabitha when using ice magic, but her frost magicka should be enough for her plans. "See you back here in about forty minutes?" She suggested, "Since I'll take Louise and Colbert while you'll probably need to talk to more than one or two Musketeers to get an answer."

Tabitha nodded and the two girls split to find their respective targets.

* * *

Louise was riding Dovahkiin over the palace. Below her were the cries and screams of joy and love as every citizen in Tristian called her name in reverence. "LOUISE! LOUISE! LOUISE THE GREAT!" came the chant from a hundred throats.

Louise smiled down on her well-wishers before her eyes caught sight of her mother and father standing proudly on one of the palace's many balconies. Subtly gesturing to Dovahkiin, her familiar descended until she landed on the open space the balcony provided.

Dismounting from the dragon, Louise strode confidently forwards to stand in front of her mother. They were the same size now, Louise having finally hit a growth spurt that not only let her face her mother at eye level, but also gave her a figure that put Kirche's to utter shame.

"Louise," her mother said before choking up on her pride, "I'm, so, so proud of you." There were tears in her eyes and Louise's' father had to put his hand on her shoulder to support her.

"We're both so proud," the blond man said, smiling at his daughter.

Louise beamed with pride, especially when she saw the jealousy on Eleanor's face.

"Thank you," she said humbly before sticking her tongue out at Eleanor and ignoring the expression it caused. Turning to face the roaring crowds, she waved to them.

"LOUISE! LOUISE wake LOUISE up, LOUISE! Wake up, LOUISE!" the crowds chanting seemed a little off to her now, but it didn't matter. This was her day and it was going to be glorious.

"WAKE UP LOUISE!" A sudden cold breeze raced up the wall from below the balcony and under her skirt.

-[]-

Louise screamed as she threw her hands down to try and push her skirt back down before she flashed the crowd only to find herself thrashing around in bed. Her blanket was down at the bottom of her bed and her partially sheer night dress was blown all the way up to her neck, since nothing was there to stop it at her chest.

Reaching up, Louise clawed at the cloth to pull it back down to where it was supposed to be.

"My, my," Louise looked up to see Kirche of all people standing just to the side of her bed with a wicked smirk. "I must say that is a cute night dress," she commented while the ice vapor slowly stopped emanating from her hand. "Although, if you really want to reel in the boys, you should leave the panties out, that way it will tease them when you walk or twirl."

Louise sucked in a slow breath before letting it out in a roar of fury. "ZERBST! JUST WHAT IN THE NAME OF BRIMIR WERE YOU THINKING BY TRYING TO FREEZE ME!?" she screeched. Her anger was somehow burning hot enough to melt the thin layers of ice that had formed on the bed around her.

"That you looked a little hot," Kirche said with a face that could be a poster for choir girl innocence. "Your face was red and you were muttering things under your breath, so I just had to cool your temperature." Half of that reason was made up, but Kirche's sincere tone was almost believable. "Were you having a good dream? Was he hot?"

Louise glared, ignoring the tease. "You're despicable," she declared before shifting around on her bed to let her legs hand off the side.

"I try," Kirche answered with a shrug.

"Now," Louise started a new conversation as she quickly got dressed, "why are you here this early? It's the day of the Void, so we don't have any classes to attend."

Kirche's expression became serious, "I need to know if you know where Dove could be. She wasn't in her room and Tabitha has been looking for her everywhere."

Louise frowned as she considered what she knew. "I don't know," she eventually said, "Usually she's at work during this time, but Tabitha's smart enough to know that and you said she was looking. You might try her cave."

"Great, guess I'll have to ask Colbert if he's seen her before checking the cave," Kirche mused before filling Louise in, "My job in this hunt is to talk to you and Colbert while Tabitha goes to the musketeers."

Louise nodded in agreement. "Can I come with you?" she asked, "I have no plans after breakfast and it would be boring studying alone." That had been her plan for the day, but this sounded like a much better use of her time.

"Sure," Kirche agreed readily to the help, if only to wait for the right moment to brag about her night with Dove and Tabitha.

-[]-

The now group of three met together at the stairs going into the dining hall. Louise was eating a large sandwich she had quickly made from the breakfast meal.

"So," Kirche started, "Louise doesn't know where she is." Louise nodded in agreement before swallowing a large mouthful of bread and ham.

"I only saw her once after we parted ways coming out of the tunnels," Louise expounded on what she said, "She was walking from classes to the kitchens. She looked like she was having difficulty walking though, do you know anything about that?"

Tabitha suddenly thrust her staff out in front of Kirche's smirking face. "No," she said blandly, this wasn't the time or place for bragging about her exploits.

Kirche's expression turned to a pout behind the crook of Tabitha's staff. "Tabby," she whined, "I just wanted to tell her about the-" Tabitha tapped the end of her staff against Kirche's forehead.

"Not now," she said before moving the conversation along.

"I talked to the musketeers. They said Dove took a guard into the town for something," Tabitha reported quickly, "We should go there."

Louise nodded, not quite sure what just happened but willing to let it pass for now, while Kirche plotted when to brag.

* * *

The cold wind of high atmosphere flying cut through his cloak as the Falman's dragon flew as fast as it could.

The white dragon soared through the equally white clouds, slicing through the wall of moisture and leaving behind a small wake as it sped on. On its back was a young man, about five foot ten, with a lean form and a light tan. The man wore white and blue clothes like all the other Falman, and in addition there was a personal sigil on his shirt.

On the young man's breast, set against the white background, was the image of a red sword crossed with a black spear with a sapphire rose in the center.

Bevier Sparhawk wasn't a dragon knight, unlike Falman Julio, he in fact hated heights with a passion, but the orders given to him by the Bishop of the Church had been explicit in their order for him to get to the academy as soon as he could.

He had been reading about the Founder's history when the summons had come to him. The importance of his new commands being impressed on him by the fact that the Bishop had been the one to personally deliver the message to him and it had been signed by the Pope.

An order like that couldn't be ignored by a lowly Falman like himself, even more so after he had read the contents of the order.

'A hoard of elves discovered at the heart of magical learning in Tristain,' he mentally reiterated while reaffirming his death grip on the reigns. He had immediately asked for a spare dragon mount to get there as soon as he could.

The Bishop, fully aware of Bevier's dislike of flying, had been surprised by the request. He wasn't privy to the contents of the message, only knowing that it was from the Pope, but immediately gave him the dragon for the trip.

Now, the end of Bevier's frightening journey was in sight. On the horizon was the rapidly growing main tower of the academy of magic. As he flew in, he caught a glimpse of three girls leaving on horseback before he was within the walls.

Unlike Julio's arrival days ago, Bevier's was into an open courtyard that didn't have any fanfare. After unsteadily getting down from his white dragon, Bevier marched towards the academy doors.

As he neared them, the doors opened and out came Falman Julio. Bevier looked his fellow Falman up and down. He looked stressed, his cloak had stains at its bottom, his white clothes were wrinkled, and his eyes had the beginnings of bags under them.

"Greetings Falman Bevier," Julio greeted as he descended the short flight of stairs from the doors to the ground, "I hope your journey wasn't too unpleasant?"

Bevier shook his head before gesturing to a large pack on the dragon's back. "Talen, my familiar, doesn't like dragons or flying, and I agree with him," he said, moving over to open the carrier.

As soon as the top of the carrier was released, a Germalian Shepard dog jumped out. Bevier's familiar was a rather noble looking creature with a large tan and black coat and a stance that always looked around as if assessing the world around it.

"Your familiar looks very nice," Julio complimented, seeing the mix of intelligence and strong muscle under the animal's thick coat.

"Thank you," Bevier replied with quiet pride before his mind turned to business. "Now, the orders said that there was a hoard of elves in the area and that there were somethings that were too sensitive to share by letter. What can you tell me?"

"Come with me," Julio said gesturing towards the door, "What I need to tell you is too important to share out in the open."

"What about my mount?" Bevier asked, quickly returning his attention to it.

"Leave it," Julio stated, "A servant can take care of it for now. I need to bring you up to speed as soon as possible."

Bevier nodded before falling in line behind Julio as they moved into the Falman's room. Once inside, Julio decided to start his report by telling Bevier about the potion the lowly baroness had created.

* * *

"So this simple drink can cause anyone to become a mage?" he asked, not quite believing what he had just heard.

"Yes," Julio stated, "She can 'give people seed of magicka', whatever that means. In the end, it allows a person to use wandless magic that I haven't seen before." Julio shook his head before adding, "And she's very protective of it. She only makes enough of the potion to give to the next batch of students and hasn't shared the location of where she makes it, let alone what's inside."

"She hasn't told you anything about it?" Bevier asked with a frown while Talen looked pensive.

Julio shook his head, "I know absolutely nothing about the making of her potion. She wouldn't even give me a sample to send back to the Pope unless she went with it."

Bevier jerked his head up as his thoughts came to a full stop at that little fact. The Pope was the head of the Church, the leader of leaders, all the kings and queens in all the kingdoms obeyed his word. Someone not trusting the Pope like this woman was apparently doing was simply appalling.

"Alright," Bevier said, compartmentalizing the information surrounding Baroness Dove Bosquet, "Is there anything else I should be aware of?"

Julio frowned, it wasn't necessary for him to know about Louise's affinity. Instead, he just summed up what he knew about the elves instead.

"These elves are truly blind?" Bevier asked for clarification.

"Yes," Julio said before adding, "The reason why I told you about Miss Bosquet first was because she knows more about the elves we are dealing with than I. You can use her as a source of knowledge, but remember that she is inclined to barter and leave things out if it helps her, despite our service to the Church."

Dove was rather self-serving, now that he thought about it.

"I would suggest that you ask those who were in the party with me for more details. Especially the Baroness because she knows the most out of all of us," Julio rounded off his report to Bevier.

"Where might I find the Baroness?" Bevier asked.

"She is usually teaching her students after lunch, but today they seem to be skipping class," Julio informed his companion, "One of the musketeers I talked to said that their teacher had things to do today outside of the Academy walls."

"She can run around freely?" Bevier asked, concerned. "With the Reconquista out there I would have thought that she would be kept within the Academy for her own safety."

"She has a musketeer guard, is very free spirited," Julio shrugged, "I want to get her to become a nun so that the Church can give her direct protection," and gain full access to her potion, "but she won't because-" Julio paused for dramatic effect, "-she is a true nonbeliever."

That caused Bevier's frown to go from 'not good' to 'explain or someone gets hurt'.

"Calm down," Julio said, seeing the expression. "I've made an agreement with her. She doesn't talk about her beliefs and I don't try to convert her."

"That doesn't sound like a good thing," Bevier said without any change to his frown.

"It was the best deal I could make at the time," Julio claimed, taking credit for the idea, "but I'm still trying to get her at least partially under the Church's authority if I can."

"What is your plan in that regard?" Bevier asked, coolly taking a handle on his unease with a 'nonbeliever' at the academy.

"I've tried becoming a friend," Julio stated with a self-deprecating smile, "but I lost my temper when we ran into those elves I mentioned earlier and I think I might have burned that bridge somehow."

"I see," Bevier said, putting his chin in his hand. "Thank you for the information. Do you know where I will be staying for the time being?"

"Any of the staff can give you directions or even guide you to a room for you to sleep in," Julio answered with a smile. "Thank you for coming, Falman Bevier. I didn't get to say that yet and I needed another person's help for this."

"It isn't a bother," Bevier said, smiling right back, "After all, the Pope did order me here, so it's not like I'm not where I'm supposed to be."

"I'm glad we can work together," Julio said before standing in clear dismissal.

"So am I," Bevier stated a moment later as he stood as well.

* * *

Bevier set his pack down on the bed before slowly thrusting his hands over his heads in a slow stretch.

"I don't like it," he spoke out loud. Bevier had developed a habit while researching alone in the church library of talking to himself or to Talen when he was particularly stumped about anything.

"Why has this woman been given so much free reign? It couldn't have been the Pope's order, so is it Julio's? What kind of person is she, and who does she believe in?" Bevier looked at Talen, "I need to talk to her next, find out all I can about her, don't I?"

Talen barked an agreement. Bevier sighed, knowing that Talen always was the smarter out of the two of them. "Alright, think you can find her if I get you a sent?" he asked his familiar.

Talen barked again, wagging his tail and looking excited.

"Great," Bevier said with a smile, "Can't wait to find her, this place is way too big."

* * *

 **What will be the first thing Dove does when she gets back?**


	63. All together now!

**"Snipern0sniping doesn't own Skyrim or familiar of Zero," Julio groaned from where he sat in the interrogation chair.**

 **"I did not ask about what your master owns," the dark lord growled through his respirator, "I ordered you to tell me where the rebel base is."**

 **"Sir," one of his white armored soldiers interrupted, "we have been at this for hours. I don't think he knows anything."**

 **Julio grinned weakly as the sith looked over at the storm trooper.**

 **"I think you're right. Toss him out the air lock and bring me the princess from Alderaan next."**

* * *

 **Touhou is Life: No she won't. There I answered it!**

 **RedLightningD608: It'll be fun to see just what happens when they meet.**

 **TheENDstyler: It wouldn't be a Wednesday evening without it.**

 **helkil: Everyone wants to kill Bevier for some reason, he hasn't been there long enough for people to hate him! T.T.**

 **Mysterioustgexpert: I agree, swap-age might happen.**

 **Blackholelord: Of course, there needs to be trouble for there to be fun!**

 **The One True Slacker: Seeing is believing, and when you see a freaking dragon-god of time, you tend to laugh at other gods.**

 **pedrofaria339: Punching shall happen \\(**)/**

 **Mathew5641: The thing is, the church representative (Julio) thinks that it's just a new use of "Brimir's gift to human kind!" Dove becoming a nun would allow them to control who gets her potion. lastly, there aren't that many soul gems in Tristain, (yet) so there might not be any mass produced enchanted weapons yet.**

 **Akashic Records: she might not need to make an off hand comment, read below.**

 **Akshka: I don't think that she needs to get Odahviing, she can call him with a shout. All the rest though, they might be coming, especially the house carls.**

 **BlitzkriegHOSS: If the conflict happens in Skyrim or Akatosh's realm of Oblivion then it'll totally be one sided, in Tristan though, they might last a day or so (Still gonna get they rears handed to them though).**

 **Carre: They need all the luck they can get. You kind of guessed a lot of this next chapter, now that I think of it, you guessed or influenced a good portion of several chapters. Scary.**

 **Telron: *You come out into the entrance/reception of the hot springs. In the background you hear the screams from one of your pursuits getting lost. Unfortunately, in front of you is of the girls you blew up earlier. "Oh, Hi. Sorry about that whole blowing you up thing, Forgive and forget?"**

 **The girl smiles, like she just ate someone's soul and found it tasted good.**

 **XSDStitch: They might not be in time to stop the dog from finding the garden.**

 **shamwoohoo52: There's going to be a bit more than talking about the Daedra, Dove might get revealed in the process but that's in the air.**

 **alexkehling: Mostly because Dove doesn't want to involve the owner of that dragon in this. Honestly, I can't remember what spell you're talking about, can you tell me?**

 **Zelara: I absolutly love those books as well, that's why when I was looking for fantasy church figures that I love, I turned to them.**

 **Fate: There won't be anything accidental about the teleporting :)**

 **the kitty killer: I don't think so, he hasn't forced his views on her just yet so she has no reason to. He will soon, just not yet.**

 **Yakopak: I was thinking death by lurker.**

 **Incarnation of Insanity: Dove is most certainly going to introduce Tabitha to Akatosh, and one priest will be introduced to those 'interesting' companions. Thank you for the suggestions, I'm planning on at least one elf to freak them out.**

 **dreaddragonknight: "J'zargo would love to go."**

 **Cyclinity: That'll happen later.**

 **Hell Fire: Thank you for the imagery.**

 **Me Myself and I: That awakening is going to be fun. (Need to learn an evil grin Emoji)**

 **reddragonking 12: I debated that, but in the end I decided that Louise wouldn't work as well in a lover relationship, I saw her more as Dove's student.**

 **Guest: Well, here it is.**

 **RandomBritishGuy: There might be hope for that :)**

 **TheScarletKight: He was. A short and calm discussion followed by Julio losing most of his blood.**

 **Guy passing by: Soon. I don't know, I'm torn between eggs or live.**

 **Rios: Thank you, I have so many ideas about how they would react to each other, (Mother bear comes to mind).**

 **NacNak: There might be a need for a bath scene soon, I haven't written them because they weren't necessary but maybe.**

 **king Quinn The Last Heir: Sorry to ruin your dreams ;P.**

* * *

 **Beta'd by evevee**

* * *

"Thirty-five bottles of blackbriar on the wall, thirty-five bottles of blackbriar~"

"Please shut up," the musketeer guard begged from where she was sitting in a chair against the wall, rubbing her head. "I was fine the first time you sang that _entire_ song, but now," She looked up and glared at the baroness, "I might just kill you myself if you don't stop."

"But we have nothing else to do," Dove grumbled from where she stood attending the smelter, "It's just a long waiting game now."

"Granted," the guard said, "but that doesn't mean I need to listen to another around of 'one-hundred bottles of blackbriar on the wall'."

Silence reigned for almost ten seconds before Dove got bored again.

"Oh you can search far and wide~," Dove started another song, "You can drink the whole town dry~ but you'll a never find a beer so brown~ as the one in our home town."

The musketeer groaned again and rubbed the bridge of her nose to ward off the head ache.

"You can keep your fancy ales, you can drink them by the flagon, but the only brew for the brave and true~ comes from the green dragon~"

"ENOUGH," the woman with a gun threw up her hands, losing her temper, "JUST BE QUIET!"

Dove held up both hands in a calming gesture. "Alright, alright, just bored waiting," she said simply.

"You don't need to sing about drinking for hours on end," the other woman grumbled.

"Fine," Dove mumbled before looking at the smelter again. In front of the elven woman was a large tube-like structure made of clay and brick. "I can't believe that even a sight like that can get boring after five or so hours," Dove commented, looking at the pillar of fire emanating from the top of the smelter.

When the smelting process occurred, it caused a lot of air to be pumped through the smelter to raise the heat to the required temperature to separate the metal from impurities. The result of the intense fire and swift air combining was an impressive tower of flame almost ten feet high, a sight that got boring after a short time.

Since it was near noon now, they had lost complete interest in the spectacle.

"Isn't it about time to pull the metal out?" the musketeer guard asked her charge.

"Just about," Dove answered, watching the fire. The first batch of metal she had made, the iron, had been done for a few hours and she had started working the metal to ready it for sculpting.

"Time to tap it," she announced, picking up a long metal pole. At this point the majority of the pure metal was liquid at the bottom of the smelter and now she needed to poke a hole just above the bottom to let out the slag floating on top.

Dove watched as the molten slag flowed out of the hole she had created. The bright orange color showed that the slag was almost completely contaminants without any large chunks of Corundum in it.

'Ready,' Dove thought, noting the color before moving around to break another hole in the bottom of the smelter. This one was much lower and let the metal itself come out to collect in a makeshift mold built into the smelter itself.

"One ingot," Dove announced as the molten metal cooled into a solid, "ready to be used."

Her guard just nodded and stood up return to watching the area around them.

-[]-

Outside, a trio of horses arrived at the head of the road that the blacksmith workshop was built on just as Dove picked up some tongs and moved the ingot to an anvil to start working. "Think she's in there?" Kirche asked, looking towards the front of the blacksmith's shop.

The forge that Dove was in had a storefront where Kurik sold his work, but the entire back area was only covered by a roof, no walls to keep the wind out. The front looked nice, as it was a simple looking shop with a short patio to provide cover from the sun with a metal sign of an anvil proclaiming what it sold.

It was just kind of odd to find a noble person in a place like this.

Then again, Dove was kind of odd in her own right.

Tabitha nodded to herself. "She was looking for a smith," she said, remembering what the musketeers had told her all the way back at the academy. "Closest one."

"Sounds like someone is using it," Louise added as she picked up the sound of a hammer striking metal.

Tabitha nodded again as this confirmed her hope. "Most likely Dove herself," Tabitha informed the others, thinking about the fact that Dove loved to make things with her hands.

Louise and Kirche both raised eyebrows at the idea of Dove working at a dirty blacksmith's forge. They knew she liked making things herself but had honestly thought that that only applied to the kitchen or her potion lab, they had slightly hard time imagining her covered in charcoal while working away at a forge.

Tabitha ignored their looks and moved her horse up to one of the support polls holding the cover up. The others followed the cerulean-haired mage as she dismounted from her horse, tied it up, and led the way into the building.

"Good day, ladies."

The inside of the store was rather interesting. It had a large counter top across the back where metal tools and weapons were placed on the wall for display. The floor was full of other town products: leather garments, wooden staffs and handles, and more smaller metal items.

"How might I help you?" the man behind the counter finished his greeting.

"Hello there~," Kirche answered back with an appropriately heated look at his bulging shoulders.

Tabitha ignored her friend while Louise started to give the redhead a piece of her mind in a whisper. "We're looking for Dove," Tabitha answered, looking the man in the eyes.

Kurik gave a confused look at the young girl in an academy uniform as he tried to puzzle out what she meant. "I'm not quite sure what you mean, miss," he informed the young noble. "I don't have any animals in my establishment."

"She means that we're looking for a woman named Dove," Kirche clarified for the man while ignoring a certain irritated pink girl, "She isn't really big on titles, but she is also known as Baroness Bosquet and she was coming into this town to find a blacksmith for some reason. Do you know that name or if there's another blacksmith shop she might have gone to?"

Kurik brightened up as he recognized the name. "Yes, I remember Baroness Bosquet. She's around back with her guard," Kurik said, happy to be helpful. "She wasn't introduced by her first name."

"May we speak with her?" Tabitha asked respectfully to the craft master.

"It's alright with me, if you can get past the guard she brought with her," Kurik answered, gesturing towards a door at the far end of the shop space. "They're through there."

"Thank you," Tabitha said with a nod before moving towards the door.

"So," Kirche started to say. Instead of following Tabitha, she decided to lean across the counter top and lifted her head and breasts up to draw the man's attention, "Do you get that body from pounding metal or pounding enemies? You look like a soldier kind of guy to me."

Louise growled in the background as the man looked both surprised and kind of interested in her shameless friend. "I was a drill sergeant in the queen's army," Kurik answered proudly, "I put all those proud noble sons through the works to get them ready to be knights for war."

"Ooo," Kirche cooed interestedly, moving her arms so that there was less space for her chest between them. "I bet you made them run until you were tired, and judging by those muscles, that would be all~ night~ long~."

-[]-

In the back, Tabitha found herself looking into a large backyard or workspace. There was a large blacksmithing forge in the center of the yard with a pile of charcoal behind it. Stationed to the left of the pile was a smelter and stone table with a tanning rack and wood carving area on the far side, as far away from the fire as it could get in the yard.

"Who's there?" the Musketeer guard barked as the door opened, causing Dove to pause in the middle of a swing.

"Hi Tabby," Dove called out when she saw who was there. The Baroness was standing by the stone table with a mostly complete sculpture of a dragon eating a sword. She was wearing a dark red set of trousers and shirt with a thick leather apron across her front. In her hands was a small hammer and chisel.

"What are you doing here?" the woman said, setting her tools down and turning to face her lover.

"I need to talk to you," Tabitha said before glancing at the Musketeer in the room, "Alone."

Dove tilted her head a bit as she wondered if her guard was willing to leave her alone before turning to said guard. "Do you mind going over to wood section?" she asked, "Tabitha apparently needs to talk to me."

"I heard what she said," Dove's guard stated before walking towards the other side of the work space to be out of hearing range. "Just don't go out of sight."

"Will do," Dove said cheerfully before gesturing for Tabitha to come closer. "So," she started when both women had moved to their new places, the Musketeer watching them but far enough away to not hear. "What do you need? Apart from my gorgeous presence, of course."

"It vanished," Tabitha calmly stated.

"WH-at?" Dove managed to choke back her surprised outcry mid word.

"My dick vanished. I tried to tell you yesterday, but fell asleep waiting," Tabitha reiterated and forced herself to expand on her words.

"Are you feeling alright?" Dove asked, concerned, "Did it, like, fall off? Or something? Are you feeling excessively hot or cold?" Her worry was plain and obvious to Tabitha and it touched her to see just how much concern her health caused the elf.

"No, I'm fine," she assured Dove, "It's just gone."

"…Am I supposed to be relieved or upset?" Dove asked out loud while giving Tabitha a confused look, "I mean, it was enjoyable while it lasted, but if you didn't like it then I should be glad that it's gone. I'm so confused as to what to feel."

"Feel relief and disappointment," Tabitha answered for her, "It was good, but I don't miss it."

"Alright," Dove said before giving her lover a side hug. "I am very relieved that your dick is gone," she said in a teasingly formal tone while smiling at Tabitha, "but I will regret its loss when I cannot ride on it in the nights to come."

"Good enough," Tabitha granted before asking, "Any further guesses to that man's ramble?"

Dove shook her head. "Sheogorath's words are still a mystery to me," she responded, "but then again, he is literally madness incarnate, so I'm kind of glad that I couldn't follow what he said back then."

Tabitha hmm'd as she agreed with her lover.

"So," Dove said after a moment, completely switching gears, "Can I borrow a bit of Sylphid's blood?"

Tabitha tilted to look up at the taller woman. "What?" she asked, completely caught off guard by the strange transition and request.

"I'm making a way to get back to my homeland," Dove explained, causing Tabitha's eyes to widen.

"With this shrine here," she tapped the sculpture on the workbench, "I will be able to open a gate to my father's realm in Oblivion and allow people to travel through it into his world and then on to Skyrim."

"To do that I need a bit of blood from a dragon from Skyrim, myself, and one from Halkegenia. I'm asking if it would be alright for me to have some of Sylphid's blood."

"If it isn't," she added, "then I can take some from Julio's mount, but I wanted to ask you first since I don't want to involve him in this."

Tabitha didn't move as she considered. She was a little hesitant to give out blood for 'opening gates' to other realms. She truly wasn't a religious person and mostly followed their teachings because it was rote, but this might be a step too far for her.

"What will you do with her blood?" she asked warily.

"Just pour it on the shrine along with some of my own," Dove answered easily enough. "Akatosh will then be able to open gate from this realm. I don't need a lot, at most a teaspoons worth, and again I can ask Julio for some from his mount if it's uncomfortable for you or her."

'Why does she want to go home?' Tabitha irrationally worried for a moment, 'Was it something she had done?' Shaking the thought away, she answered, "I can ask her."

Dove beaming at her, causing a small smile to grow on Tabitha's own face. "Thank you," Dove said before leaning down to peck her on the lips.

On the other side of the room, the guard jerked up a bit in surprise. She wasn't aware that the Baroness was in a relationship and was caught off guard by the open expression.

'Is that in her profile?' she wondered briefly before deciding to just add it to her report and see what the others would say.

-[]-

Dove quickly finished her shrine while Tabitha watched. Chisels held at ever changing angles caused scales to appear quickly across its back before she moved on to combining the two metal parts.

Tabitha didn't mind watching Dove sculpt the metal, but it took her nearly an hour to complete the shrine. What interested her while Dove worked was her focus and care evident in the carving.

Soon after she finished attaching the dragon's body to the base, Dove picked up the shrine before calling over to her guard. "I'm done, we can leave now," she grunted, lifting the heavy sculpture.

'I need to put this on the horse,' she thought, turning to look at the musketeer since she didn't have a backpack.

The Musketeer in turn groaned while standing up from where she had settled by the work bench. "About time," she said as she stretched her arms, "It's nearly two in the afternoon."

"Ya, Sorry for making you come all the way out here with me. I really needed this to get done today," Dove apologized and explained sincerely.

"It's my job," was the soldier's reply. "Do you need help carrying that?" she asked, taking in the shrine in her arms. It looked moderately heavy, at least thirty pounds, and awkward to carry.

"If we can put this on the horse then I'll be fine," Dove answered before leading the way towards the store's back door.

Pausing just inside the door, Dove let a chuckle escape as she saw Louise's pained expression. Kirche was all but laying across the countertop, her shirt down three buttons more than usual, allowing a tantalizing peek at her entire breast instead of the normal top half she usually showed. Her expression one of playful contentment that somehow held the blacksmith's attention between that and her breasts being on display.

Louise, on the other hand, had a little dark cloud hanging over her head as she stared down at her lack of chest. When she saw Dove enter, Louise gave her a weak 'why me' expression before seeming to give up trying to compete even mentally with Kirche.

"I don't know what you think you're doing," Dove commented out loud to draw the attention of the flirt and blacksmith, "but I think that you both are a little too far apart in age to make that work."

Kurik had the decency to look sheepish at her chastisement, but Kirche only grinned as her mind conjured some fun images. "Maybe," she said grinning like a wolf, "but I think that would have only made it better. On top of that, with my latest partners apparently gone, I'm open to look for more."

Dove shook her head, nothing would get through the shameless girl. "Anyway," she changed topics, "We need to go now. Thank you for letting me use your forge Mr. Black."

"Anytime," the man said with a smile while sneaking a glance at Kirche's chest. "Come back anytime you want."

"We'll do that," Dove said simply before walking over, shifting the shrine to free a hand, and pulling on Kirche's arm to get her moving.

"Awww, I want to stay with the interesting blacksmith," Kirche pouted with an extremely exaggerated child's tone.

"Not now, possibly later," Dove groaned before marching the redhead out with the other three in her wake.

* * *

"Thank you for your help," Dove suddenly said, stopping on the road to the Academy and turning to face the musketeer.

After leaving the blacksmith's shop, Dove had moved to the horse the musketeer had rode on and placed the shrine in the saddle bag while the others mounted their respective horses before turning around and marching out.

Now, they were almost back to the Academy. It had just come into sight when Dove had suddenly stopped in the middle of the path before addressing her guard. "You can leave us here now," she continued with a reassuring smile.

Tabitha, Louise and Kirche looked at Dove. Kirche raised an eyebrow. Dove had been acting rather odd ever since they had found her in town. She shouldn't have really cared that Kirche had been flirting with the blacksmith and in any other circumstance might have just let them keep going.

Something about that statue was making her act like she was in a rush, the Germalian decided. The closer they had gotten to the turnoff towards her cave, the more agitated she had been. While the other noble girls settled in to watch, Dove's guard raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Leave? What do you mean? The Academy is right there, aren't we going there?" the soldier asked.

"No," Dove said with a shake of her head before moving over and taking her shrine out of the saddle bag. "I need to go place this in my work area in the woods. For the potion's safety, I don't show it to anyone who doesn't already know where that place is."

The musketeer frowned as she was dismissed, but her training was to obey the leader, in this case, Dove. "Fine," she said before looking at the others, "Is anyone else coming with me?" At the trio of head shakes, she frowned.

'They know where her work place is? Where she makes the potion? But only one of them is from Tristian.' That was worrying, she decided, as she urged her horse on. It was something that needed to be reported to her commanding officer, even if they weren't from enemy nations.

Behind her, Tabitha raised a hand to let out a sharp whistle.

* * *

Dove burst through the tunnel into her cave, a giddy expression on her face as she made an immediate turn towards a small shelf she had carved in the wall earlier.

"Wow," Kirche said as she led the others into the cave at a more sedate pace, "You've really done some work on this room." She really liked the way she had set up the two garden beds around the water source.

"Yup," Dove replied, not paying any attention to the others as she gently placed her shrine into the hole in the wall she had prepared earlier. "I didn't want to run out of the plants I need for the potion, so I made those. Anyways, Tabitha, can you bring the blood over here?"

After the musketeer had left, Tabitha had called down Syphid and politely asked for some of her blood. By this time, Kirche was certain that she had missed something while flirting with the blacksmith.

"So, what's the blood for?" she asked, coming out of her memories.

"I need to pour it on the shrine along with my own to open a door into Akatosh's realm of Oblivion," Dove answered, turning towards Kirche and talking as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"So, a blood sacrifice?" Kirche asked, uneasily glancing at the dragon shrine.

"Technically yes," Dove said, calming down a bit, "but not a lot. A few drops of blood from two dragons, myself and Syphid, and presto, portal to Akatosh." She then let her grin regain strength, "and from there, Skyrim."

"So, you're going home?" Louise asked, following the conversation before inviting herself in. "But what about us?" she asked, fear and worry on her face. Dove looked at her confusedly, so she elaborated, "What about Tristain and the war? Are you going to stay in Skyrim?"

Dove blinked in confusion and then again in realization. Beside her, Tabitha had a blank expression to hide her own worry. Dove glanced at Tabitha, then Kirche and Louise before emphatically shaking her head.

"I'm not going to leave any of you, you're my students as well as some of my best friends," 'And more,' she thought, looking at Tabitha again. "My plan was to get some materials and maybe a few extra pairs of hands before coming back," Dove informed them. "I have too much work I plan on doing here to just leave."

All the girls felt an immense amount of relief at her words, glad that they weren't losing their teacher, familiar, and lover. Tabitha reached over and squeezed her lover's arm while the others let out a breath of relief.

"So," Dove said as the moment ended, "let's finish. I really want to show the three of you my manor in Skyrim. I built it myself."

* * *

"Odd place to find a maid, or a Baroness for that matter," Bevier muttered to himself as he followed Talon into the forest around the academy.

The forest was said to contain many dark and dangerous creatures like goblins and even a rumor of an elf being seen a while ago. With it being so dangerous, he had to wonder why the woman's scent was going into the trees.

Hours ago, he had finally located the woman's room in the servant's quarters and gotten a sample of her scent for Talen to follow. The next few hours were filled with him following Talon around the entire academy.

Literally the entire academy, from top to bottom. This woman had apparently been everywhere so often that her scent appeared to have somehow permeated the very stone, leaving him completely lost as to where she was in the building.

Thankfully, he had stumbled upon a stroke of luck in the form of a musketeer returning from outside of the academy. Apparently, she had been guarding the woman he had been looking for and had left her outside on the road.

Wasting no time, Talen and he had immediately gone outside to follow her, bringing them to where they were now.

Dove had taken an immediate turn to the right along with the girls who had been with her, leaving him to follow.

Talen came to a small rise and looked back at his master before continuing. He found nothing wrong with the forest, but Bevier kept on grumbling and frankly it was getting annoying. The scent he had been following all day had been rather difficult to pin down inside of the academy.

After he and his partner had left the human school it had become much easier.

The smell was stronger on the road and continued to get even more so while they traveled, until it had picked up sharply and turned towards the trees. Now it was almost as if the female he was smelling was a few feet in front of him.

Eventually, the scent he was following had come to an open area full of rocks before ending at one in particular. Walking up to the large stone, Talen scratched at it with his paws until Bevier caught up. "What do you have here?" he asked, looking the stone over.

It was large and circular, but what really caught his eye was the crushed grass to one side of it. Pulling out his wand, Bevier cast an earth spell on the rock to see if moving it did anything. To his delight and intrigue, the stone rolled over the already crushed grass and revealed an opening beyond it.

"Is she down here?" Bevier asked, staring down the earthen hole.

Talen gave a short woof before taking off down the hole. This was it, the female had to be at the other end of this tunnel. Behind him, Bevier sighed before following.

Bevier's eyes widened as he left the tunnel behind and came into the main chamber. The garden, the lab and potion stations, and the glowing hole in reality were all very interesting things to find in an underground cavern.

Deciding to the ignore the rest of it, Bevier focused on the glowing oval to his right.

The said oval was about seven feet tall and four across, enough for anyone to walk through and glowing with an orange light. Talen, still following the scent, marched right up to the oval and began barking at it.

"Well," Bevier said, ironically looking at Talon, "What do you think we should do now?"

Talen looked at him before seeming to roll his wide intelligent eyes, and walked forwards to vanish into the oval, leaving Bevier alone in the room. Bevier's eyes widened and his jaw dropped before he staggered forwards after his familiar.

* * *

 **Ow. Ow. Ow.**

 **I had to write something else right in the middle of writing this chapter.**

 **And now I have a huge head ache trying to catch up.**

 **So, I'm going to lay down.**


	64. God, more scaly then you thought

**"Skyrim and Familiar of zero is owned by-" Julio started to say**

 **"MEEEEEEEE!" Screamed a man in red and black spandex.**

 **"What?" Julio asked, shock crossing his face a moment before a katana blade.**

 **"So, I was wondering what all the noise on this little story was about," Deadpool started, "so I asked around. Turns out theres this white haired guy who can hook you up with free passes into the story! How cool is that!"**

 **Deadpool turns and picks up the camera. "And now," his voice got quiet, "I'm going to kill every one of these d*******s."**

* * *

 **Cyclinity: Hopefully you wont' want to do that to Bevier.**

 **BlitzkriegHOSS: Define Patiently, 'cause I imagine can only imagine someone sitting in a high backed swivel chair whenever I think of the word.**

 **RedLightningD608: Well don't get used to it :( it's not like I'm a sucker for reviews or anything... Mood swings and dragon powers nightmare** **material** **that. I don't think anyone would care up to the point that he damages something, then he's screwed worse than a bolt.**

 **RedBurningDragon: Julio hasn't lost anything and Bevier hasn't met them yet, so it' going to be interesting having them meet.**

 **Incarnation of Insanity: J'zargo might make it into the story, possible locations for visiting are being discussed now.**

 **Telron: The ground starts rising to reveal a true lab rat maze. "Welcome," a voice booms over the intercom, "you have almost reached the center, but there's a catch. throughout this maze are portals to other parts of my mind, if you go through the wrong one you could end up anywhere. Good luck hunting and watch out for the xenomorphs." Click.**

 **Guy Passing by: I don't think Bevier would be that bad, plus he's barely worth the time for Akatosh to even acknowledge him. Totally going to have Serana do that to Talen.**

 **DragonSword35d: Eventually.**

 **TheENDstyler: He'd have to talk quickly. :)**

 **Guest: here it is.**

 **king Quinn The Last Heir: That sounds like an interesting match up.**

 **Blackholelord: I hadn't thought about that. My main thoughts were that Familiar of Zero canon is canon, Skyrim was literally thrown in on the whims of an insane Daedra. It would need looking into for either of your suggestions to come out but I would like to know this; what about the differences? Magic and Magicka are vastly different despite their similar qualities, how would we account for the changes despite the fact that Magicka from Skyrim would be just as old as magic in FOZ yet it's unchanged?**

 **XSDStitch: She definitely needs some guards. Bevier is also definitely going to need to think quickly.**

 **Taeniaea: you are welcome.**

 **Carre: People say the same about me, but then there has to be that little issue with actually writing down what I think. Bevier with the Greybeards... so many thoughts so little time.**

 **Mathew5641: The thing about magical traps is that you can only have one, and she used them in the ruins under the academy. I am see twins, blue haired and pointy ears, and more adorable than anything you can think of.**

 **Neo Juubi no Ryu: You're the second person to think up an idea like that. The main sticking point for me is that Magicka didn't change in all the time between Ysgramor to the modern day so if that was the case then shouldn't FOZ have magicka instead of magic? I'm writing it as if it was a vanilla play through so no mods no matter how fun or cool they are.**

 **Engineer4Ever: Or maybe he's one smart dog, my money's on the spiders. (arachnophobia)**

 **Kalomin: It's going to be fun dealing with him.**

 **Roodk115: Yup. Most likely unless someone holds her back.**

 **Ghost Findley: Don't worry, he won't be in her home.**

 **dreaddragonknight: Next time.**

 **Viva01: The ritual wasn't disrupted, but he did sniff her out.**

 **Touhou is Life: FOZ nobles in Portal, poetic justice or just fun time?**

 **pedrofaria339: I plan on Bevier surviving for now, but it might take a lot of fast talking.**

 **Me Myself and I: Dibella... I think Kirche would love that. Most would probably accept it as just another event in her life, she has fought a doomsday dragon, vampire with a creditable threat to the sun, and a dragon born with a thing for tentacles. J'Zargo might show up, lots of people want him.**

 **grey: Nope, the priest most likely isn't even worth his time.**

 **ForgottenGrimiore: Badass Nords will be featured soon.**

 **Mysterioustgexpert: Yes, you should worry about that. It made sense to us but at the time Dove wasn't willing to think about it in relation to her relationships so she missed it's meaning.**

 **NacNak: Yup.**

 **TheScarletKight: Companions for sure, Are you suggesting a night of drinking and reminiscing?**

* * *

 **Beta'd by evevee**

* * *

"There's no place like home," Dove sighed dreamily, looking up at the orange and green streaks in the sky and the stars beyond.

"C-c-cccc-cold," Louise stuttered, desperately trying to get the distracted woman's attention. The four magic users were standing, freezing, on what looked like a snow covered clearing at first, but a second glance revealed that it was a mountain plateau that rest far above the rest of the world below.

-[]-

Only thirty minutes ago the party had been standing around in Dove's cave, nervously waiting for her to open the gate into Oblivion. Dove had given them all a reassuring smile before taking a breath and summoning a dagger.

After a quick slash across her palm, Dove cupped her fingers to form a small reservoir of blood in that hand while she held the donation from Sylphid in the other. Closing her eyes, Dove sent a thought out to Akatosh and poured both quantities of dragon blood on the shrine.

For a moment nothing happened, then the blood started to glow a burnt orange color. "Now we stand back," Dove commented before taking her own advice.

As Dove joined the others about fifteen paces back, the Shrine started shaking as gold, orange, and electric blue lights burst from where the blood drops hand landed. While they watch, the symbol of Oblivion along with a hourglass appeared in the air above the shrine.

The shaking increased until it was rocking on the shelf, filling the cave with the sound of metal on stone.

Just as the young women thought the shrine was either going to fall over or explode, the different lights coalesced into one golden-orange color and expanded outwards until it formed an oval taller than any of them.

"And we're through," Dove said happily before walking towards the portal, "Feel free to follow."

Behind her, the others looked at each other as if wondering if they should go through or not. Tabitha stood up boldly and followed. She wanted to see her lover's homeland.

Louise and Kirche, however, were a little more hesitant to go through the portal created by a blood sacrifice to a strange god. It made them uneasy, as it would any sane person.

"You go?" Louise half asked, half ordered, "I'll follow."

"After you," Kirche shot back.

"Age before beauty," Louise declared.

"Exactly, so get going," Kirche said with a smirk.

"I'm younger than you." By a few months.

"Well, I can't argue that you look like you're still in kindergarten, so I guess I'll go first."

Louise paused with an open mouth as she tried to figure out if she had won by making Kirche go first or lost by somehow admitting that she looked younger than she was.

Kirche shot the glaring girl a victorious smirk before losing the expression and turning back to the orange portal. "Sometimes, I hate winning," she grumbled before resignedly marching forwards.

Louise watched as her rival turned friend disappeared into the portal. "Great, now I have to do it," she bemoaned before gathering her courage, squeezing her eyes closed, and following the others through.

* * *

The world on the other side of the portal came as a surprise to Louise. Then again, she wasn't sure what the other side of a portal would look like. The party had entered a room. It was large and rectangular, with cobblestone walls held up by wood supports running along them. Pillars were positioned in line with the stairs to hold the ceiling up.

The portal they had come through was set on a lower level floor than the rest of the room, with stairs reaching up to give any potential hostiles as much difficulty attacking it as possible. There was also a second level balcony along the edge of the walls, providing even more open space for archers or other long-range defenders to stand.

"-my father let me design it any way I wanted." Dove's voice was coming from someplace just out of sight. Picking up their wits, Kirche and Louise moved up the stairs towards the voice. "So, I made this room like the entrance to Dragon's Reach," Dove explained animatedly to her blue-haired lover.

The two spotted Dove and Tabitha once they reached the top of the stairs. The lovers were standing with their back towards them as Dove pointed up at the balconies.

"I didn't want anyone to get through here. That's why I changed the balcony into solid walls with cover and removed the tables and throne that Dragon's Reach had in Skyrim. I really can't wait to show the building to you when we get there," Dove said excitedly, gesturing around as she led the way to a door in the center of the wall.

Tabitha just nodded and followed at a much calmer pace.

"So, now we need to find Akatosh and have him open a door to Skyrim," Dove continued, her thoughts racing miles ahead of the others. "He should be outside. This way."

Tabitha had to pick up her pace a little bit to keep up with the excited woman while Louise and Kirche had to jog to catch up.

Dove quickly went through the home Akatosh had given her in his realm. It wasn't all that large and most of it was in a different direction than where she was going anyways, so she arrived at the door leading out into the open air rather quickly.

The world outside of the building was very different than their own. The sky was blue, of course, but the streaks of gold or yellow in it caught their attention.

The land around the house was also a blend of 'normal' and unique, as it was covered in tall grass and sporadic clumps of trees, but the colors were off. Everything was a health green, yet there were also shots of gold or red running through it all.

The door they had come out of led into a large, walled garden with small flower bed running along the walls and a deep pool to one side.

"Akatosh," Dove called as she threw open the door.

"Yes, Dovahkiin?" a loud voice boomed just as Tabitha and the others arrived. Tabitha immediately looked around for the source of the voice while Louise and Kirche gawked at their surroundings.

It wasn't every day that you saw a sky streaked with gold after all.

Despite Dove looking around, it was Tabitha who was the first to spot the awe inspiring sight of a golden dragon flying towards them through the sky. The dragon was a much darker shade of gold than the sky, nearly a bronze color, but it's size and simple presence made sure that once it was spotted, it was impossible to forget.

Louise and Kirche gaped as the being landed before them. They both shook as an intense feeling of insignificance overwhelmed them both. This. Was. A. God. Screw whatever the church said about Brimir, this was a GOD. And they feared him.

Tabitha felt awe as the great being landed. She was similarly overwhelmed like her fellow Halkigians, but for a different reason. While Louise and Kirche were having their beliefs turned on their heads, Tabitha just had one thought: 'This is Dove's father.'

She immediately stood a touch straighter as she prayed that she would leave a good impression on him, though to whom she was no longer sure. Would it offend him if she prayed to Brimir like she had been taught? It hardly made sense to pray to Akatosh since she was trying to please Akatosh.

Dove, however, was completely unaffected by the sight. "Hi Dad," she called to the dragon, "Think you can open the gate to the Time Wound now?"

The dragon gave a regal nod before looking over towards the others who had accompanied Dove. **"You must be Louise Valliere and Kirche von Zerbst,"** he said, looking at the pink and red haired girls, "My daughter's closest friends from your realm."

The two girls nodded dumbly under the dragon's gaze until it turned its head towards the blue haired girl standing by Dove. **"And you are Tabitha d'Orleans, my daughter's lover,"** The dragon's voice gained a curious edge.

Tabitha looked up at the large head hanging over her. "No," she said as calmly as she could manage, "My name is Charlotte Helene d'Orleans. I prefer Tabitha."

Dove blinked and looked at Tabitha in confusion while Akatosh hummed in thought. **"There is a story behind the name,"** he declared, his tone ordering that it be told.

Tabitha nodded, "I had a doll named Tabitha. Mother now loves it instead of me in her insanity." Admitting that she was jealous of a cloth doll might not be the smartest thing to do in front of a god, but something told her that any dishonesty wouldn't endear her to him.

 **"I see,"** Akatosh said without moving his gaze from the mage. Tabitha straightened her back as worry grew in her mind. **"I can see why you want to give her that armor,"** Akatosh said, turning his attention towards Dove, **"She would make a find dragon."**

Tabitha shivered when the dragon's gaze moved away from her, it felt like she had passed some kind of test. 'What armor?' a stray thought asked before filing itself away for now.

"My companions aside," Dove spoke up, "Can we go to Skyrim now?"

Akatosh nodded his great head once before being enveloped in light. "Let's get going then," Akatosh said now in a more human looking form, gesturing away from the house before leading them towards the pool.

As he arrived at the water's edge, Akatosh raised a hand. The air in front of him suddenly cracked, as if someone had broken a large pane of glossy glass and hung the fragments in front of the god.

"Finished," he said with a nod.

"Thank you," Dove replied, giving her godly parent a hug before moving to go back home.

Akatosh sighed as his daughter jumped through the portal he made. "I guess it was too much to hope she'd stick around for a meal," he grumbled before speaking in a louder voice, "I expect that all of you are going with her?"

The girls nodded.

"Good, please keep her on track," the god suggested. "She gets easily distracted while in Skyrim. So many people want her to fix all their problems."

With that, Akatosh stepped back from the water's edge. There was no hesitation this time as all three girls moved around the god, two of them giving him as much space as they physically could, to go through the portal.

Akatosh smirked in amusement as the two girls moved past him, looking like they were trying to sneak around him without drawing attention to themselves. Foolish joor, trying to 'sneak' around him. Where they were going, he was worshiped as the head Aedra.

"WOOF!"

Akatosh frowned in confusion. There weren't any dog-like creatures in his realm. The sound came from the house, so maybe it was from Tristain.

A large brown dog suddenly raced through the door and charged the portal. The surprised god could only watch as the four-legged beast raced across the garden and leapt towards the portal his daughter's friends had just gone through.

"Talen!" a voice called out from the building followed by a young boy. Or was it a man? Akatosh wasn't sure. Either way, it didn't matter. 'What are these two doing here?' he wondered.

"Excuse me," the boy, Akatosh decided to call him that for simplicity, asked the god. "Have you seen my familiar? He's a dog, a germalian Shepherd to be precise, and he just came through here a moment or two ago."

Akatosh raised an eyebrow as the boy started to bluster. "Why he decided to run off into a glowing orange thing I'll never know," he ranted, "but I need to find him before anything happens to him."

Akatosh mutely pointed towards the portal. Bevier thanked the strange man, completely missing the horns in his hair, before running after his familiar. "Was that one of the priests Dove was talking about?" Akatosh mused before a smile started growing across his face, "That could be interesting."

* * *

"So," Dove said, looking at the others, "I'm sure you're a little cold. Let's go down into the monastery."

"G-g-g-goooood," Louise stuttered, hating the freezing environment.

"What Monastery?" Kirche asked as she summoned a burst of fire to keep herself warm. This snowy plateau looked to be in the middle of nowhere.

"Down there," Dove replied, pointing towards one side of the plateau. "It's too cold for any joor to live all the way up here, so the Graybeards built their monastery a little lower on the mountain."

"No kidding," Kirche said. Louise was hugging up to the redhead, trying to share the heat from her fire.

"Let's go," Dove stated before leading the way down the mountain side.

-[]-

'Mir,' the man in dark grey robes meditated. Master Borri was one of the greybeards of Skyrim, a student of the Voice and the fastest of their order. The old man was proud of his work learning 'Wuld' and being the one to teach it to the Dragonborn.

The old man was kneeling away from the main building, in front of the fire pit and tower that marked the beginning of the path up to the top of the Throat of the World.

He was attempting to learn the Animal Allegiance shout his friend had found. The problem he kept on running into was that he kept on chuckling, for as soon as he had enough control he was going to order the skeevers to eat Wulfgar's shoes. It was hardly a noble goal, but it had been one the old man had been obsessed with doing just once in his life.

'Sigh, why did I agree to coming up here again?' the once energetic man wondered.

"Hey Borri, still going to tick Wulfgar off?"

Borri looked up to see the Dovahkiin walking down the stairs from Paarthurnax's roost. Letting a cheeky grin spread across his weathered old face, Borri nodded both in greeting and confirmation before looking behind the dragon woman towards those she had brought with her.

"So," Dovahkiin started, "you wouldn't happen to know where some warmer clothes are? We kind of didn't think about the cold before we came here."

"We didn't even know it was going to be cold," Kirche grumbled.

Borri nodded before slowly standing up and gesturing towards the great hall.

"Welcome to High Hrothgar," Dove said to her companions as they followed the hooded man towards the dark grey building.

"Who's that?" Louise asked, looking at the old man, the first person she'd seen in Skyrim.

"One of the Greybeards, Master Borri to be precise," Dove answered. "He's part of an order that practices the Way of the Voice. They meditate on Shouts to be able to use them themselves, like how I was teaching you, Tabitha."

Tabitha didn't comment on that, however, her interest was perked.

The inside of the building was just as grey and weathered as Master Borri. "Interesting place here," Kirche commented. "Everything's so grey."

"Agreed," Dove said with a smile, "That's why I never liked it here. Too monotone."

Kirche wasn't amused.

"Sorry, too irresistible," Dove apologized.

"Dragonborn," an old man's voice called from the main room where Master Borri was leading them. Another elder waited for them just inside the large room. Like every other Master, he was dressed in grey hooded robes. His face was even more lined than the others now filling the area and his beard had a knot tied into it.

"They all look older then Osmond," Louise whispered to Kirche as she eyed the Greybeards.

"It is good to see you again, Dragonborn. It has been too long since you've graced these halls with your presence," the elder greybeard said formally.

"Nice to be back, Arngeir," Dove said with a smile. "You won't believe the adventure I've been on these past few months."

"I'm sure we all would love to hear of it," Arngeir encouraged, speaking for his mute brothers.

"So, I was minding my own business-" Dove started going over of her adventure, from getting summoned to now, making sure to emphasize the differences in magic and Magicka and how the church views it. "...and now we're here," she finished. "Do you have some spare warm clothes for these three?"

Arngeir nodded to her question while he was going over the information the Dovahkiin had provided. With a side gesture, he sent Master Einarth after some warmer clothes.

"This could be dangerous," he finally stated. "If the church in their world comes here then they would probably start killing all the Mer they see and try to convert the Nords to this false god. No Nord likes being told what to believe. We will need to be vigilant on the path to Paarthurnax's roost."

Dove nodded in agreement.

"So," Arngeir said, physically turning to address a lighter topic with Tabitha, "You are learning Dragon Shouts, yes?"

The blue-haired mage silently agreed.

"Well, you already seem to have the Oath of Silence down," Arngeir commented humorously. "What have you learned so far?"

"Fus, Ro, Dah, Yol, Toor, Shul, Zun," Tabitha answered by repeating all the words she knew without trying to shout.

"An impressive vocabulary." Arngeir was truly impressed, "Most can't manage even three in a few months of practice. Either you are a very gifted individual, or the Dragonborn missed her calling as a teacher."

"I think that she's the impressive one," Dove commented thoughtfully. "In Halkeginia, the summoning ritual is supposed to bring the animal that best suits the summoner. She summoned one of her world's dragons, so I think that helped."

"An interesting thought," Arngeir mused, already thinking about how this ritual apparently showed off the young girl's spirit.

By this time Einarth had returned with some clothes. "How did you find a dress of all things up here?" Dove asked, looking over the articles the Greybeard had brought.

"There have been female Greybeards before," Arngeir answered as the clothes were handed out. Nord dresses were surprisingly warm despite the design flaws inherent in dresses, their robes were the same.

"I don't know," Kirche said, holding up the light blue dress and leather corset. "It's not really my type." The dress went all the way down to her ankles and the neckline was probably the highest she'd worn since she was a child, although her legs would look appealing in the tan knee high boots she had been given.

"You're one to talk," Louise grumbled. She was certain that she had just been handed a bright yellow child's dress.

"They're all we have that might fit," Arngeir said with an apologetic smile.

Tabitha, on the other hand, was rather pleased with her clothes. She had been given a miniature sized version of the Greybeard's hood along with a grey robe that was a bit big on her. With a bit of rolling up the hem so as not to trip over it, it fit alright.

"What do you plan on doing now Dragonborn?" Arngeir asked as her companions left to get dressed.

"I'm going to bring them to my home, Lakeview manor, where I need to pick up some supplies," Dove said. "After that, maybe a short trip around the province to show them a few of the interesting sights."

"You should know," Arngeir spoke hesitantly, "Some of your companions have been coming here every now and then looking for you. Serana was most upset with your disappearance, and I think your housecarls are going to start invading every building between Solitude and Falkreath looking for you."

"Oh dear," Dove replied, imagining the scene. "I guess I'll have to prioritize the house visit then."

"Please do, we can't handle another round of 'inquiries'," Arngeir shuddered.

By this time the others had returned. Kirche had added a rather long slit in the side of the dress to allow part of her leg to show and Louise was wearing her school cloak over her yellow and green dress.

Tabitha looked kind of funny, like a much younger feminine version of the Greybeards.

"Right, I can't wait to show you guys my place," Dove said, noticing Louise and Kirche perk up in interest. "I have something I want to show you, Arngeir. All of the Greybeards, in fact," Dove added, going towards one of the front double doors.

Going through them and down the short flight of stairs, Dove sucked in another large lungful of biting Skyrim air looking back to the assembled Greybeards.

"Mul Qah Diiv!" she shouted, and belatedly hoped that traveling back to Skyrim hadn't messed up whatever had given her the ability to fully transform.

Fortunately, nothing had, and soon her body started shifting.

Arngeir's mouth dropped and the other Greybeards softly started muttering, causing an earthquake in the near distance before they shut their mouths.

"What is this?" Arngeir asked. "Those words are normally used to make your dragon soul appear in the form of armor. What happened?"

"I am unsure," Dovahkiin stated in her rumbling voice, "but I had tried to use this shout while being summoned by Louise the first time. I felt pain the first few times, but it's like I've somehow adjusted to it."

"If you want, we can look through our records and mediate on this puzzle for you," Arngeir offered.

"Thank you, that would be appreciated," Dovahkiin said with a smile and getting a nod in return.

"Well then," Dovahkiin stated, shifting around on the path from High Hrothgar, "Aren't we going to visit my house?"

Louise, Kirche, and Tabitha then moved forwards and clambered up and onto her back, carefully avoiding the many sharp protrusions of bone and scale. Spreading her wings, Dovahkiin leapt off the mountain side, leaving the Greybeards to their mountain. The girls all huddled close as the rush of frigid air blew past them.

-[]-

"Which direction are we going?" Louise asked, glaring through the sharp wind at the breathtaking scenery.

"Lakeview manor in Falkreath hold, to the right," Dovahkiin answered before slowly turning in that direction.

Below the girls, the ground dropped down hundreds of feet in an almost sheer cliff face before suddenly turning into rocky foothills and snow covered trees with narrow paths running through them.

The ground quickly turned from snowy white and grey to a more brown and green before smoothing out into a wide valley.

"So," Kirche said, "is that your home?" She had spotted a large structure nestled at the base of the south ridge. It was a large wood and straw building that was three stories tall surrounded by many lower buildings built like it.

"Over to the right a bit more," Dovahkiin answered the woman on her back. "On the northern ridge. That is Falkreath, where the Jarl of this hold lives."

"Neat," Kirche said before asking, "Why is it made of wood and straw? Wouldn't it be better to build it out of stone?"

"It's too wet and soft for a proper stone walls and besides, nords built it out of wood in the beginning so of course it must be made out of wood from now until the end of days," Dovahkiin answered with a snort before turning on the breeze northwards. "Home won't be too far away," she added.

"ROOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAR!"

"What was that?!" Louise shouted while Tabitha and Kirche scanned the sky.

"Blood dragon," Dovahkiin called back, having already narrowed in on the spot in the distance, "He made his home northwest of my manor and occasionally makes issues for me, but he knows not to disturb my home."

"I see," Louise muttered.

-[]-

"There's the peak, my house is on the other side," Dovahkiin said, beginning her descent.

The mountain in question was what formed the north side of the valley, Dove had built her home just to one side of the pass. "It looks interesting," Kirche said as the house came into view. Most of the nobles from Halkeginia had manors that reflected the wealth of the family who lived in it.

Dove's home was two stories tall, made out of stone and clay walls with wooden supports, and the roof was green shingles. Dragon heads decorated the peaks of the roofs. Outside of the building was a small covered stall for horses, a garden, cow pens on either side of the entry way with a smelter a short distance away from the building.

There was an entry way and a main hall with two rooms built into the side and a tower in the back. The room overlooking the lake had a flat top with archery targets on top while the other side had an angled roof.

Coming down quickly, Dove settled just up the road. "Let's see if anyone's home," she said before shifting back into elven shape and striding up the road.

"It looks very different than back home," Kirche commented.

"Back 'home', your manors are built by either magic or labor worth thousands upon thousands of gold," Dove said, coming up to the main door and turning on the spot to address them. "Here, I built this place with my two hands over a few months and no magic."

Kirche had to admit, that was impressive.

"Now," Dove said turning again on the spot to face the door, "Let's see who's in."

* * *

 **Bevier hasn't arrived yet.**

 **Dang.**

 **So, next chapter will have a good portion dedicated to him.**

 **See ya when I get to it, I have a minor backlog of things I need to do before the next chapter can be written.**

 **Sorry.**


	65. Dragons, bad ideas, and old friends

**Well. It's been a while.**

 **First off: I had another story that needed some love and then school started back up, draining my time.**

 **So**

 **Sorry for the delay.**

 **Skyrim belongs to Bethesda and Familiar of Zero to Noboru Yamaguichi.**

* * *

 **Sazq: I think of Bevier as someone I would like to tease, and since I'm the writer that must suck for him.**

 **ivanruzic3758: It would be short and painful for him. I'm seeing a mug and broken teeth when I imagine Bevier trying.**

 **Loremaster Endsong: Here's your fix for now.**

 **Slycutter: Sorry, but I don't accept tree eyeballs as sacrifice, for your blasphemes offering I have delayed the chapter!**

 **pedrofaria339: The last chapter was the first with Skyrim and the transfer over, this is more like Bevier's orientation, next should be visits, fights, and Bevier failing.**

 **helkil: You think a lot about lesbian sex, and nordic culture. Those two things don't often mix. Fine, School started and another story I'm writing was feeling lonely so I had to take a brake and write in it.**

 **RedLightningD608: the goddess that 'pays men in moans'? I can see that. Fortunatly, Louise and Dove's situation appears to have only caught the attention of Akatosh, Mara, Sheogorath, Sanguine, and Mora, that won't last but might help them slip under the radar for this trip.**

 **Touhou is Life: Like touch the skyrim?**

 **DragonSword35d: OMG I LOVE YOUR IMAGE- (Shut up inner fanboy/girl!) My apologies. I've recived several requests to have talen and Barabus meet, it just might happen.**

 **king Quinn The Last Heir: If there is, it would be a short one since they don't even recognize the power needed to cross into Skyrim.**

 **Mathew5641: Short blond horns in long blond hair. I know he isn't going to last a week, There aren't any ogres in Skyrim, only trolls.**

 **deathbykitsune: I also want them to meet, it would be epic.**

 **Akshka: Nope. It would be completely boring. :P**

 **feral creature: here it is!**

 **Shamwoohoo52: Her thoughts were 'it had to do with the summoning ritual, the dragon aspect shout, and whatever Sheo did.' So she wasn't sure if the power would work in Skyrim until she tested it.**

 **BlitzkriegHOSS: I KNEW IT! Although the nyan cat song was unexpected.**

 **TheENDstyler: Have you tried to catch a dragon in Skyrim? I have, I lost it trying to cross a pair of mountains.**

 **Cyclinity It feels good to know that my story brought you happiness. Serana will show up, but maybe not for long. Mage college is on my list of possible places to visit.**

 **Carre: Thanks. A possible reason why she learned so quickly. One word: Paathurnax. Maybe, it couldn't hurt to try, but how would they get her there? All will show up but maybe not necessarily come with her.**

 **XSDStitch: What are the chances of that happening? o_o'**

 **Neo Juubi no Ryu: I think I might adopt your first idea, even though part of me says that I need to keep to canon regarding the founder. It would tie in with several of my plans very well. Thank you for the ideas.**

 **Hell Fire: Imagine mugs of ale, broken teeth, and lots of running. :)**

 **Rook115: She landed just up the road and didn't roar to announce herself.**

 **Mkoll: I like building things, so does Dove so she didn't buy anything in building the house itself.**

 **RandomBritishGuy: Sorry, but this is an orientation chapter, next is the escapades.**

 **headreviewer mk2: Possibly.**

 **grey: Talen can't talk, but his soon to be friend can. Bevier trips in the snow and meets someone even scarier.**

 **Ghost Findley: Two nords on a path, "Hey," Ya?" "Have you every wondered what we're doin-" AARRROOOOOHHH!- Splat. "..." "..." "It's raining dogs."**

 **dreaddragonknight: ...I completely forgot about her clothes. IGNORE IT PLEASE! Thank you.**

 **RedBurningDragon: I think they'd close off when they learn that he is part of the church of Brimir. I forgot about Dove's clothes.**

 **Guest: Here it is!**

 **TheScarletKight: I don't think so, In my mind it's either one side or another with him and the prince of order. In my opinion, the human mind has a delicate balance of order and madness, Sheo can either make her hopelessly mad or completely logical in my opinion.**

 **NacNak: I think they'd be interested in why she learned so quickly and maybe a bit jealous, but nothing too bad.**

 **MeMyself and I: I had honestly forgot about Sylphid apart from needing her blood. Now I want to rewrite the chapters to add her in, but that would take a long time and stretch the time in Skyrim too much. I'm planning on a meet and greet just before they leave and maybe an extremely happy Mara figuring out and blurting about Dove's condition first. Names will be presented.**

 **Mysterioustgexpert: I think that Akatosh would admire her honesty and while maybe not understand her jealousy, he's a god that has almost never lost anything, at least sympathize with her loss.**

 **fuddler: he's more likely to run.**

 **Sentinel Wolfe: Dove believes in the Empire and joined the legion against the stormcloaks, but she believes in Talos and thinks that the Aldmeri Dominion is the true source of the strife in Skyrim. The Empire itself works, but this foreign power strong arming them with the white-gold concordant is hurting the empire by creating problems that blow up into the civil war. Personally, I believe a theory I heard online about Ulfric having been manipulated into starting the civil war so that the Dominion had an excuse to butt-in in the empire's affairs.**

 **Kurama9: Thank you and you're welcome.**

* * *

 **Beta'd by evevee**

* * *

"What?"

Bevier, Falman of the church of Brimir, was lost beyond all comprehension. He had been following his familiar with single minded determination for what seemed to be only five or minutes or so, but now he was somehow on top of a mountain.

'How?' he thought in confusion. He hadn't realized that something was wrong until he was ankle deep in snow.

The sensation of cold snow had surprised him, causing him to look down and pull his attention from his panicked search. Looking up from the white ground, Bevier had found himself on top of a mountain, still without his familiar.

A gust of wind stirred his hair and sent an icy dagger down the back of his shirt.

"Drem yol lok," a deep voice said, surprising the Falman.

Turning around, Bevier found himself facing an impressive stone monument. The tall half-circle of stone was intricately carved with jagged lettering, hard to read and even more so since it was also broken and in disrepair.

More importantly than the carving though, was the dragon 'standing' on the broken section. The dragon was powerful, large, and seemed to extrude a feeling of age. Despite his own fear of dragons, Bevier could recognize the look of wisdom in this one.

At least, he could recognize it for the two seconds Julio had before his brain caught up to the fact that a dragon larger than any he had seen before was staring down on him, looking at him like he was a curious insect he had found on his chair.

-[]-

"AHHHHHHHHEEEEEE!" The panicked young man screamed like a banshee and jumped backwards before his foot caught on the edge of a buried stone and he fell into the snow next to a sheer rise leading up towards the peak.

The dragon let out a deep, rumbling laugh as the boy tried to backpedal as fast as he could through the snow and up the cliff. The joor boy was rather funny in his opinion, but his frantic flailing about was moving him in a direction that would cause a mess.

"That miiraad, that path, will not help you," the ancient Dov advised. "Dropping from a kol, cliff, without the wings of a dovah is unwise."

Bevier froze his sideways movement as his hand met empty air soon after the dragon's words had reached him.

"Good day, little Joor. The lok, the sky, is clear, no?" the dragon asked with a smug expression, thoroughly enjoying his visitor's expressions. "So, how did you get here? The Graybeards do not allow joor up the strunmah, the mountain, to visit me," Paarthurnax stated.

"I-I-I-, uh, I," Bevier stuttered as his brain stalled.

"Drem yol lok, Thur Paarthurnax," an old man's voice came from Bevier's right. Glancing that way, the falman saw an old man in grey robes coming up a path towards them.

"Drem yol lok, Arngeir," the dragon said to the old man, "What reason have you ventured up the strunmah to see me? Surely not just for tinvaak, Speech."

"I come with a message from the Dragonborn," the old man stated, looking at Bevier. "She had said that your father, Akatosh, has opened a portal from another realm to the time wound. She has yet to man the defenses she has placed at the midpoint, her home in Akatosh's realm. We ask you to be wary of people finding their way here through it."

"I see," the dragon, Patherax? PAthurrax? Whatever, said before looking down on the cold Bevier. "I had just found this one on my mountain before you showed up. Could he be one who came through the time wound?"

"I am sure he is," Arngeir commented, also turning to look at the sprawled young man, noting the way he was dressed. "You have trespassed where almost none are allowed, boy," the Greybeard commented in a way that sounded both composed and vaguely threatening or disapproving. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I, I'm, I wasn't trying to trespass," Bevier said, his eyes darting between the two others on the mountain, not sure if he should be addressing the man or the dragon. "I was looking for a woman named Baroness Dove Bosquet. While following her scent my familiar led me into a cave before darting through a strange ray of orange light. I followed behind and ended up here. Where am I?"

"Hmm," the dragon hummed as he scrutinized the joor, "He's at least an honest trespasser. Did you by chance see a 'familiar' on the way up the mountain, Arngeir?"

"If he's talking about a large dog then I did, master," the old man stated. "It rushed past me on the path towards the monastery."

"That's him!" Bevier exclaimed while still looking between the two trying to understand why the dragon was the 'master', "Do you know where he went? I lost sight of him a minute or two ago."

"Stand up and I'll bring you to him," Arngeir offered before adding, "It can't be too comfortable sitting in the snow."

Bevier shivered and complied. "Why don't you come down with me to the monastery? I think that was where your familiar was going and you won't freeze to death there," Arngeir suggested calmly while gesturing towards the path he had come up.

Bevier nodded and started edging around the plateau.

"I trust that you'll keep an eye on the time wound in case others come through, like the Dragonborn asked?" Arngeir asked Paarthurnax, ignoring the frightened young man for a moment.

The great dragon raised his head from their level to glance over the snow towards a space where the snow swirled around one spot. "I will keep my eye on it for now," Paarthurnax promised before adding, "I would paar, desire, to see her soon. Tell the Dragonborn that I will be awaiting her visit."

With his piece said, Paarthurnax opened his wings and leapt into the sky, both to watch the entire mountain top and give the two joor time to get back down before he landed back on the peak. After the dragon left, Bevier leapt away from the snow-covered wall and towards the old man.

"Thank you, thank you," he babbled, nearly tripping over his words as his relief poured out of him.

"You're welcome," Arngeir said, looking the man up and down. "You wouldn't happen to be from the church of Brimir or the army of Halkegenia, would you?" he asked, noting the more uniform appearance in his clothes to the ones the Dragonborn's companions had worn.

"Uh, yes I am a Falman in the Church," Bevier acknowledged, surprised to hear the name of his Church in a place never seen before.

"I thought so," Arngeir said before starting back down the path towards the monastery. "Just to let you know, no one here believes in Brimir and Elves are not our enemies, at least no more than any other person, and we will not take kindly to someone trying to tell them what to do."

Bevier blinked in confusion while staring at the old man's back.

'What?' Bevier hadn't had someone so bluntly tell him off on his religion before, it was a rather strange experience to say the least. Curious, he hurried after the man.

-[]-

"If you don't mind me asking," Bevier started to say as they rounded a bend, "What do you mean by 'here'? I don't know where I am."

"You are in Skyrim, home of the Nords," Arngeir stated with a proud note in his voice. "It's in a different realm than the one you came from."

Bevier somehow felt even more lost than before. "Realm? Just what do you mean?" he asked.

"Were you paying any attention to how you got here?" Arngeir asked in honest confusion, "I thought you were at least aware of where you were walking. Did you not notice the strange world you came through to get here? The Dragonborn said that there was a world between yours and ours. Are you sure you didn't notice?"

Bevier frowned. "I was looking at the ground," he admitted, "My familiar went racing off and I followed him, I looked down instead of up and just followed where I thought he had gone."

"That was rather stupid of you," Arngeir stated matter of factly.

"Please, no need to soften your words on my account," Bevier said dryly before changing the topic, "So, I'm in another 'realm'. What does that mean?"

"Everyone who lives in Nirn know that there are several realms of existence. Each is home to one of the Daedric princes or Aedra, and some even beyond that called Aetherius," Arngeir started. "It is possible for one to travel across the void between them with the favor of the being who lives there."

"Really?" Bevier asked, interested. "If it was possible, could I ask about returning?" He was rather unnerved by the whole experience. All he wanted was to get his familiar and leave so that he could return to something that was at least remotely normal to ground himself before figuring this all out.

"All you need to do is go back the way you came and ask Akatosh directly," Arngeir said calmly, "but there is the small issue of getting his attention. He is an Aedra, after all."

Bevier frowned as a very important but rather unpleasant thought occurred to him. "By Aedra, you mean god, right?" he asked. Arngeir nodded calmly.

Bevier frowned, had he somehow ran into heretics? 'Or was he technically a heretic here?' a small voice in his head asked. 'If the majority apparently weren't believers in Brimir, that is.' He had a feeling that they had never heard the truth of Brimir.

Then again, they might have heard of Brimir but not all the good the church had done for mankind in defending them from the elves. They had to have at least heard the name of the Church judging by what the old man had warned him about when speaking of it.

"I take it that you've heard of the Church of Brimir before? At least some wild rumors about it if what you said before is correct," Bevier started in preparation to preach.

"Yes, I have," Arngeir answered quickly, he could have sworn the mountain path wasn't this long on his way up. "I have been informed that it is a Church that kills elves simply because they are elves, believes that a mage was god despite him dying like anyone else, and has ordained certain families to positions of power based on who birthed them instead of merit."

"Your point?" Bevier asked, confused as to what the problem could be with that way of thinking. Elves had killed Brimir, therefore they were evil. Brimir had gifted some families over others, and he had created magic, so what else could Brimir be but a god?

"Whatever your approach, most Nords won't take kindly to being told about your Church," Arngeir pointed out again. "Nords don't put stock in anything that hasn't proved its strength to them. Yet this Brimir apparently can't and on top of that, he died like a mortal, so how can your church claim he is divine? Our Aedra all have various ways of showing their might."

"Really, how?" Bevier asked. He didn't like how this old man was questioning the truth. Maybe if he could disprove some of these 'various ways' in return, he could help them see the right of things, then he could bring them to Brimir.

'It might be difficult and require some thought,' he decided, 'but it must be done.' The issue was that he had no idea of how these 'Aedra' showed their might, so he would keep his thoughts to himself for now while gathering evidence.

"The most common way for the Daedric princes is by contacting a mortal directly and giving them power in exchange for something, usually worship or sacrifices," Arngeir smoothly stated. "I heard of a group that worshiped Molag Bal on an island to the northwest and another who worshiped Hircine in Whiterun."

"If I was interested in visiting these locations to gain a better understanding of these Daedrics, would you help me find them?" Bevier asked politely. He needed to find out more about them if he wanted to find the flaws in their worship.

'Thank Akatosh,' Arngeir thought, seeing the finish line of High Hrothgar. The gray stone tower and the large fireplace on the landing against the stone looked so heavenly in the distance.

"I think you need to ask for the Companions in Whiterun," the elder Greybeard replied, deciding that if the idiot wanted to jump into a dangerous situation, then more power to him.

Not knowing where that was and oblivious to the danger he was getting into by seeking out, Bevier put his plans out of his mind for now and looked up in time to spot his Familiar lounging next to the warm fire pit. "Talen!" he called happily, "Talen, come here boy!"

The dog leapt up at the sound of his foolish master's voice and sauntered over, tail wagging all the way there. "Good boy," Bevier greeted his familiar before grumbling good naturedly, "If only you didn't race off on me."

Talen only looked smug and barked in an affirmative.

* * *

As the front door opened, the usual creak Dove had deliberately built into the hinges was completely drowned in the clamor of voices coming from her dining room. The first thing that caught Kirche's attention, however, was the décor.

The entryway was filled with chests and display cases, weapon racks and decorative pots on small tables. The walls were a white mortar-like substance with grey trunks spaced every twenty feet or so. She could see the rafters that were being held up by the trunks and it gave a very rough feel to the room despite the obvious care that went into their construction.

Looking towards the cacophony of raised voices, Kirche could see a large dining table covered in maps and small books through the door. Behind it was a large river stone fireplace and seated on the sides were a host of interesting people.

Around the table were five men and four women. All but one of the men wore what could only be described as demonic armor, twisted black with red highlights that almost appeared to be glowing, fortunately their helmets were off or she would have thought they truly were demons.

The only one without the unholy armor was a broad shouldered man with a short beard on a hard chin. His armor was grey and looked very smooth compared to the others, with what appeared to be polished borders on the plates. There were wolf heads standing out just under his chin.

The women were like the men with most wearing demonic armor, thankfully without helms. However, one stood out. She was wearing a red tunic with a loose leather corset and a metal choker worked to look like a sneering, multiple horned face.

While the uniquely armored woman was very pale, everyone else at the table had a certain rugged look that Kirche thought came from the environment, but this woman looked like her porcelain skin hadn't seen the sun in decades.

When it was all taken in, Kirche felt the little bit of hope she had that the armor was just a uniform vanish like wood in a fire.

"-Solitude. What enemies has our thane defeated in that area that might want revenge?" one of the women was asking the others, specifically looking at one of her fellow females. The blond in questioned tapped her finger on the table top before answering.

"I have heard tales of our thane defeating a group of necromancers trying to raise the Wolf Queen before she was granted the title of Thane." The woman then added, "However, I don't know how quickly those people could mount a kidnapping attempt or even if it could be possible let alone successful, she left few alive while fighting them."

"Necromancers are very annoying to fight," Dove commented from the door, butting in on the conversations of those sitting at the table, a frown of unpleasant remembrance on her face. "I killed all of Potema's minions because they kept on raising the corpses of their fallen brethren. Imagine having to kill someone twice! It was irritating, let me tell you."

Those at the table turned towards the door when Dove started complaining about the Wolf Queen's minions. Cries of, "THANE!" and, "MY LADY!" burst from over half of the assembled throats while the rest shot to their feet.

Dove was almost bowled over by the loud exclamations from her housecarls. "Whoa, whoa, hold on," she temporized throwing up her hands, "Don't crush me to death. Were all of you looking for little old me?"

"Well, you did vanish without telling any of us you were going," one of the men pointed out dryly.

"Where is Lydia?" Dove asked, noticing who wasn't there. "I would have thought that she would be leading this little party."

"She decided to talk to the Nightingales for help," one of the men said, his face twisting in distaste. "She thought that Karliah and Brynjolf could track you better than any of us and so left a few days ago to find them."

Dove tapped one of her fingers against her chin. "Oh dear," she mussed, "I was hoping that they wouldn't get involved."

"Involved with what?" the pale woman demanded from her chair, "What problems have you gotten yourself into now Dægeseáge Nightvale?"

"Whoa, full name," Dove teased before summarizing things in order of importance, "Not much. Got pulled into an alternate dimension, got engaged, became a dragon, became a familiar, found out that I'm immortal, and joined in a civil war. Again. You?"

Silence met her careless list.

The pale woman broke the silence by groaning and slapping her hand against her face. On the other side of the table, the man in the wolf armor let out a burst of laughter. "So, another average week or so then?" he asked with a chuckle.

Dove gave him a smirk and nodded.

"Who's are you companions my thane?" one of the women asked, having finally noticed the girls behind Dove.

"These are some friends that I made in the other realm. This is Kirche,-" The red head wave a little wave. "-Louise, the one who summoned me, unknowingly with Sheogorath's help,-" The little pink haired one also gave a wave, cowed a bit by how intimidating everyone was. "-and this is Tabitha, my fiancé." The short blue haired girl didn't wave, she nodded slowly as she scanned each of the people present in turn.

The housecarls all took a step back from their thane, inviting the others into the room, before taking a moment to look over all of the unfamiliar people with their thane. "How old are all of you?" a dark skinned woman asked, confused.

"Sixteen," the group of girls answered, as they were all the same age.

"Maybe we should sit down and hear the entirety of this story," the pale woman at the table suggested in an irritated tone. "I don't think we'll get any answers from these haphazard questions and I would like a few straight answers right now."

There was a short chorus of agreements and the swarm of housecarls finally settled back down at the table. "Thanks Serana," Dove said to the pale woman as she took a spot at one end of the table. "So, to start, I was minding my own business-"

"Bullshit," someone coughed.

"I WAS MINDING MY OWN BUSINESS!" Dove repeated loudly, looking around the table for the culprit, "When I ran into a table set in the middle of nowhere…"

Dove quickly summed up her tale, going over the summoning, her job at the academy including chef and magicka teacher, the system of nobles, her place in it both as Louise's familiar and a Baroness, how a simple potion that was easy to find at any apothecary or general merchant around the province had elevated her political power to the upper echelons, and finally the war she now found herself facing.

"So, I came back because I need some supplies," Dove stated, thinking on her list of tasks. "I'm also looking for someone to come guard the house in Akatosh's realm as a gateman, with anyone else who is willing to come help guard the Academy. Plus, a bit of sightseeing around the area if there's time."

"I thought that these 'Musketeers' were guards," a pale looking man brought up, "Are we just going to replace them?"

"Partially," Dove answered. "I was hoping that some of you could integrate some of their weapons into your own arsenal. I'm a little wary of these 'guns' since they sound like something the Dwemer would think up, but I don't want to just foolishly ignore them. If you come with me then I would ask two or three of you to learn about them in depth while I am busy with my own jobs."

The Housecarls took a moment to consider. They were technically obligated to follow the Dragonborn and obey her orders, but she was often very lax when it came to ordering them around and let them go wherever they wanted most of the time.

"I'll go with you and guard your new house," the black skinned housecarl was the first to speak.

"Thank you, Rayya," Dove said, turning to smile at the housecarl from Falkreath.

"My blade is yours, my thane. These mages sound interesting, and you need arms loyal to you to guard your back faithfully, and not because someone else ordered them to be," a slightly older but heavily muscled (even for a nord) housecarl agreed. The others quickly agreed with that logic and swore to follow her.

"Thank you all," Dove beamed at the group, touched a bit by their loyalty. "We can leave in three days or so. Do any of you have things to take care of before then?" Most of the Housecarls apparently didn't and were ready to go with her if she wanted to go right away.

Dove then turned to look at the two still sitting at the table. "Serana? Farkas? I wasn't planning on inviting you two, mostly because I didn't think you'd be here when I arrived, but the offer is open to you two as well."

The woman, Serana frowned while tapping her finger on the table.

"I'll go, sounds like it would be interesting to hunt there," Farkas spoke first.

After glancing over at the man, Serana shook her head. "It sounds interesting," she admitted, "but I have the other vampires to manage. If I leave them alone for too long someone will try a takeover and cause a mess."

"I understand," Dove accepted her friend's answer. Vampire messes were rather bloody.

* * *

With plans set, the housecarls started checking the food stores and readying the house for an extended period of absence.

"So," Kirche started looking around at the main room, "This is your house?"

"Yes," Dove answered, "I built this place out of the surrounding forest and mountain. With a little help from the friendly vampire sawmill workers down at the other end of the lake."

Kirche opened her mouth, eyes wide, before she just gave up thinking about it.

Dove smirked at her struggle before bringing up the next topic she was think of. "Where would you guys like to sleep?" she let a small abashed smile. "I never had this many people at my house at one time so I don't know if I have enough beds for you all."

"Can I share with one of your housecarls?" Kirche asked, getting over her exasperation with Skyrim's residence and thinking about all that muscle under the plate.

"No," Dove shot down that idea with a shake of her head before looking around, "The other women are in the upper bedrooms. We can set up in there I guess." She wasn't going to let the red head distract her housecarls. Agnes would probably have a heart attack with how long she was going to be gone as it was.

* * *

 **Dove's official birth name has been revealed! I wrote her name at first as a joke, but when looking up the meaning of it found that is suited her perfectly.**

 **Have a good day.**


	66. unforeseen issues

**Hello Readers.**

 **Due to unforeseen circumstances, my main means of writing Fanfiction, my Laptop, has ceased to function.**

 **Basically, the screen died on me.**

 **I will be able to write on a family computer, but this will slow me down a lot more than I want. I'm letting you, my readers, know that this story is on a temporary Hiatus until parts can come in and things can be fixed.**

 **I will be continuing to post chapters of 'I will Summon A Dragon' as soon as my laptop is put back together.**

 **ETA until then: two months**

 **I know, it sucks.**

 **I will be trying to write whenever I can steal an hour from the family computer, but know that my father works from this station and he takes up a lot of its time. Odds of me stealing a few hours here and there are "good", and you can expect an update or two before my parts arrive, but it won't be up to the schedule I want or you readers expect.**

 **Nothing for it, unluckily.**

 **So, until the next post (Hopefully sometime before two months). I will remove this post when I upload next.**

 **Snipern0sniping**


	67. what's the worst that could happen?

**Wow, that took a lot longer to write then I thought it would.**

 **I don't own Skyrim or Familiar of Zero**

 **If I did there would be smurfs.**

* * *

 **I hope you don't mind,**

 **but I'm going to leave out a bunch of reviews from this part.**

 **I would take too long to give everyone the proper response they deserve.**

 **So instead I'm going to put up a note about the biggest thing I go PMs about and answer any reviews that need an answer.**

 **Dove's real name: Dægeseáge is Anglo-Saxon for Daisy. I personally is amused by the name (apologies to anyone name such) mostly because I find princess Daisy from Mario funny, again for personal reasons. HOWEVER, looking up the name on wwwDOTnordicnamesDOTde/wiki/Daisy it states that "Dægeseáge means 'eye of day' i.e. 'sun'" I wasn't going to name her Dægeseáge just for personal reasons, a flower called the sun would be perfect for the daughter of Akatosh.**

 **RedBurningDragon: No there will always be a minor issue with clothes when Dove changes, I just forgot about it while writing. I am having them going to winterhold so Jizargo is still a possibility.**

 **dreaddragonknight: I think that most of Doves housecarls respect her as a person, but I do have plans for one of them acting like a mother and scolding.**

 **Mathew5641: In my opinion the musketeers would be wary of the group just showing up, but they would accept them with Dove's help. In a fight it comes down to one question: Can a musket pierce Daedric armor? If their guns can then this fight would be over before it even started, but if not then the housecarls are superior in practically every other area related to combat. So unless a musketeer can stop them at range, they're going to win.**

 **Carre: Thanks, There has to be a way even if it's just taking her them themselves. In Skyrim people die, the lives of those living there are almost painfully short (Bandits effecting the census readings) so as long as the parents approve and they wish it, the housecarls are okay with their relationship since Dove explained it during her recap of Tristain, it wasn't specifically mentioned because of how long it would have taken.**

 **AgentDraakis: I really like the way you think. Your review is well thought out and put me in a plotting mood, (f anyone has an issue with this then blame this person). I think that Dove's runes didn't disappear because she is immortal, as funny as it would be for them to have vanished and they notice later, I don't think that would happen. Being pregnant effecting her ability to change... I need to think on that. The shift in focus wasn't completely deliberate, I liked writing Dove so she got more and more screen time until she was the star of it.**

 **dragon slayer of death 98: Dove can use magicka and shouts but not magic. To me there is a major difference between Skyrim magicka and Tristain magic, I have used the drain vitality shout before in the story so shouts do effect magic like magicka in the mage but I hadn't thought about magical constructs. IF reconquesta got their hands on Dove's potions then they would start off at novice spells, but I don't think they would stop experimenting to make the participants learn faster and in more dangerous ways without Dove's guidance.**

 **Thank you to everyone for you kind words about my computer issues.**

* * *

 **Beta'd by evevee**

* * *

This world was out to kill him, Bevier was sure of it.

He had to wonder that if there were other gods, ones that truly existed in this world, as blasphemous a thought as that admittedly was, then maybe, just maybe, they had cursed him to die.

He had been fortunate enough to have received a map of this new land from the old men on top of the mountain that showed the major roads and settlements in the province. After seeing Whiterun, where he could find his first major grouping of heretics marked plainly upon it, he decided to start off in its direction.

The place looked only to be a few hours walk at most.

That had been before he remembered that he was on top of a mountain. In fact, while looking around from the front doorway, he was certain he was on top of the largest mountain in eye sight.

Undaunted, the Falman started walking.

Not even half a mile away from the gray monastery's front door, he was attacked by something resembling a pale, three-eyed gorilla.

He had been walking along the path, a small rise creating a cliff on one side and a shear drop on the other, when the previously mentioned three-eyed monster had leapt from the towering ridgeline and landed in front of him.

"Wha-," Bevier had managed to begin before he was cut off by a bellow that shook him to his core.

"GGGRROOOOOHHHHH!"

The beast moved mid-roar, loping forwards to attack, its long and thick arms brushing its hard knuckles on the frozen ground as it sped across the path towards Bevier.

Bevier fell into a fighter's stance, a smooth wand slipping into his hand from somewhere on his belt. Talen answered the roar with a growl and barked a challenge of his own. Moving quickly and casting silently, Bevier threw up a stone wall as tall as his hip between himself and the attacker.

The monster just charged over the wall and kept on coming. As the beast moved closer, Bevier moved back to maintain his distance. The Falmen could tell that he was faster than this monster, but even from where he stood could see the muscles bulging under the creature's fur. When it got within twenty paces, he could even see its fangs and claws.

Throwing up more walls, taller and thicker this time, he skimmed around the edge of the trail and ran as fast as he could.

"Go, Talen! GO!" The shout pulled itself from his throat and galvanized his familiar to follow him. The ice monster roared again as his meal started putting distance between the two of them and struggled over the sudden barriers in its way.

-[]-

The snow on the path felt like it was either trying to stick Bevier's feet to the ground or let him slide off the edge of the path and towards the express way off the mountain. Fortunately for the human, his familiar was trail blazing for him.

Talen raced just ahead of his master, doing his part to keep the fool alive by seeking out any hidden surprises in the path ahead. So far, he had found a sudden dip in the road, a pack of wolves off to one side, and a patch of suspicious ice.

"TALEN, WOLVES!"

Talen gave a dog's version of an exasperated sigh. He knew that, literally just finished mentioning it, but now his master had pulled their attention of the wolves to the two of them. If he had just stayed quiet then they wouldn't have the pack on their tails, on top of the troll.

"TALEN, WATCH OUT!"

'What now?' the dog thought, exasperated.

Turns out, the ice was more than suspicious, it was alive. 'Flying ice-snake,' the intelligent animal noted.

"AAAIIIIEIIIIIEEEEEEEE!"

Oh, ya. Bevier was afraid of snakes.

Poor, poor master.

Beveir took one look at the flying ice-snake and RAN. The human outpaced his animal familiar, flying down the mountain trail as if he had grown wings. Surprised by this, Talen was left behind for a moment before he picked up his paws and hurried after his master.

At least they had left the troll behind.

* * *

Bevier came to a sliding stop at the bottom of the stairs.

Whomever built a monastery on top of a mountain was a freaking idiot, a gluten for punishment, or a fitness nut. Sweat poured from his face, quickly cooling his body, but seemingly not quick enough.

Talen walked over to his feet before flopping over and letting his tongue loll from his mouth.

It had taken a lot of running, but in the end he had managed to leave the pack and snake thing behind him on the mountain path. "I. Think. That we're in. The clear," Bevier gasped out between breaths to his familiar.

Looking ahead, he felt his spirits raise as a most welcome sight appeared in front of him. A handsome village lay nestled against the base of the ridiculously tall mountain and spanned a white river running beside it. There were small farms, probably only to supply the villagers themselves, an inn for travelers, and a lumber mill for businessmen built around a single street that carved its way through the landscape. All in all, the village was a very quaint and self-sufficient stop on the road.

All that stood between him and rest was a stone bridge. Deciding to rest for a moment, Bevier sat down on the bridge railing while he let the rest of his breath and strength return. Across the bridge, Bevier could see people moving around on the main road. Guards were walking up and down the road, he noted.

Bevier tilted his head in confusion. 'What could be the reason for them?' he wondered. As in, was there a war going on somewhere or was the land just dangerous enough to require constant and open guards?

Most of Tristain and the other kingdoms had guards and civil police, but a place as small as this didn't often need active and constant patrols. Four guards were moving up and down the road, armed with broad swords and wearing padded armor, an impressive ensemble for a simple village guard.

Deciding that he had observed enough, Bevier slid off the bridge rail and started walking towards the village again.

Coming into the village, a guard on her round happened to be coming towards him. Bevier decided to play it cool and gave the guard a polite nod as he passed. The woman in armor nodded back before continuing her rounds.

As she passed, Bevier breathed a small sigh of relief. He was a bit unnerved by the guards, despite having done nothing wrong. As he moved down the road, the Falman suddenly stiffened.

There was an elf on the road in front of him.

The elf wasn't doing anything threatening or important, just walking up the road towards him, but the movement still froze his blood more than the trek down from the mountain or sitting in the snow had.

Talen looked up at his master in confusion. The elf to him was only a man who smelled like trees, but Bevier was trembling in fear. As the dog watched, the Falman started walking backwards, keeping as much distance as he could between himself and the elf.

"Hey, Gwilin!" A shout suddenly called out to the elf and caused him to stop and turn towards the voice.

Bevier also paused, surprised that anyone would interact with an elf. The brave or foolish person turned out to be a rather ordinary looking woman. With light brown hair and fair skin like the other people he had seen in the town, she marched up to the elf before starting to order him around.

"I need you to get out there and find more trees to turn into lumber." The woman crossed her arms across her leather apron, "The last batch was almost completely ruined by those bears tearing out large chunks of them again."

"I'll get going immediately, miss Temba," Gwilin said smartly before turning to face the way the woman had come and jogging off.

Bevier kept his eyes on the elf until he was completely out of sight.

"What're you looking at?"

Bevier's attention was jerked away from where the elf had disappeared up the road and back to the woman. She was looking at him now and still had her arms crossed with an expression that seemed to be scanning him while they talked.

'Elves are not our enemies, at least no more than any other person,' the old Greybeard's voice suddenly popped up in the Falman's mind. Instead of answering immediately, Bevier silently replayed the last few moments in his mind.

Elf, his obvious fear making him stand out, and he had been noticed.

But, what if the elf had been human? What would his reaction have been then? A small thought asked, causing Bevier to mentally pause and go over his reactions all over again.

If 'Gwilin' had been a human, then he would have just kept on walking and ignored him. He wouldn't have gotten seen staring at him and the woman in front of him wouldn't be tapping her foot for an answer.

"Are you going to answer me, or are you just going to keep standing there?" Temba was getting a little annoyed by this stranger. He was just standing there, a puzzled expression on his face while looking after where her assistant went.

"Sorry," the young man finally answered her with a small laugh and an embarrassed expression. "I was lost in thought. I just hadn't seen an elf before."

"Seriously?" Temba deadpanned. "Mer are everywhere on Nirn. Where could you have come from to not have seen one before?"

Bevier just smiled patiently and answered, "A long way from here."

Temba looked at him, expecting there to be more to his answer. "Like where?" she probed for more information.

"You wouldn't have heard of it," Bevier tried to politely get out of the question.

"Try me," Temba insisted.

"Do you know which road I need to use to get on to find Whiterun," Beveir changed the topic to a more comfortable one. This didn't seem to have been the right thing to do because Temba immediately raised an eyebrow.

"You don't know where Whiterun is?" Temba was even more confused by this guy the more she talked to him, best get him out of her hair. "That way," she said, pointing him in the right direction. "Watch out for the bandit 'toll' road and the giant camp on the way."

Bevier smiled in appreciation and started moving out before all of what the helpful woman had said registered with his mind. 'Giants?! What by Brimir could she be talking about?' It couldn't be literal giants. That would just be stupid.

The world might be out to get him, but seriously? There were no such thing as Giants. 'This woman must be teasing me,' the Falmen decided, 'The world is out to get me and it's using this woman's teasing to do it.'

Plan in mind, the dog and young man duo turned and left down the indicated road.

* * *

"Time to get up."

Tabitha stirred from her comfortable pillow made of Dove's breasts as her lover's voice pulled her consciousness from the realm of dreams. She was laying in the largest bed in the house with Dove beneath her and Louise to the side.

There had needed to be some organizing and squishing last night with everyone trying to squeeze into Dove's relatively small home for sleep. Dove, Louise, and Tabitha had gotten the master bed to themselves since they were the three smallest, again relatively, girls while Kirche had gotten a side bed to herself and Dove's housecarls had taken all the other beds and rolled out sleeping rolls wherever they felt like nodding off.

Tabitha didn't mind the squishing since it let her get right up against Dove, but she was a little put out by the fact that Louise was there as well.

There had been some arousing moments last night that she had wanted to take advantage of, like when Dove had shown off her more 'interesting' night clothes. She had made Louise blush and Tabitha just a little warm by holding them up for their examination.

And that smirk with bedroom eyes while she did it had made it hard to sleep on top of that.

Suffice to say, it was more than just a little disappointing that she hadn't been able to enjoy spending the night alone with Dove. Louise being there had prevented any intimacy from starting. Resting her head against Dove's chest simply wasn't good enough after fantasizing.

Warm thoughts aside, Dove was right, it was time to get going.

Sitting up slowly, Tabitha stretched out her back and arms while a soft yawn escaped her lips. "Morning," she said, tilting her head around to see Dove still laying on the bed.

Dove smiled back. It was rather nice sleeping in her own bed with Tabitha, even without the privacy she had wanted.

"Hey Dove," Kirche butted in on the moment, "Do you have any more of these books lying around?"

Dove sighed at the lost moment before sitting up to see what Kirche was talking about.

"Where did you find that?" she growled. The book was a faint gold colored thing with a beautifully worked border around it.

"Next to a shelf full of small statues," Kirche answered. "It reminds me of a book back home that's part of my dowry, I can't remember if I've showed it to you before, the famous summoned book."

"I don't remember you talking about a book of that nature before." Dove hoped that if she ignored the question long enough, she wouldn't have to explain the book. 'How did that get here?' she wondered, 'Did one of the housecarls bring it?' She certainly hadn't, she was far too busy fighting to pick something like that up.

"What are Argonians anyway?" Kirche pressed, a small smirk on her face as she enjoyed the uncomfortable look on Dove's face. "I'm having a hard time visualizing the scenes snice she mentions a tail and scales but I can't think of any creature quite like her."

"Human sized lizards," Dove curtly stated, like ripping off a bandage, before moving on. "Now that we're all awake-" Louise grumbled and tried to pull the covers over her head to deny the fact. "-we can decide where we're going to visit first," Dove finished her thought.

"Oooh, can we go somewhere with clothes and jewelry?" Kirche asked. Skyrim's sense of style seemed to be very different from Tristain or her homeland of Germalia from what she could tell. It interested her to see what kind of things carried over from one realm to another in fashion.

"I might know a store or two in the various holds," Dove said neutrally. She didn't often visit the clothing stores, she made her own, but she did occasionally sell her jewelry at their shops.

Kirche grinned while Louise poked her head out of the covers just to roll her eyes and go back under.

"What about libraries?" Tabitha asked, she wanted to see some of the lands history.

"I think we can see both," Dove thought out loud. "There is the College of Winterhold and Winterhold itself we could visit, but they don't have as many shops. How about we visit Whiterun then go to Winterhold and Solitude, that way we can visit some of the shops and the library."

"That'll work," Kirche said, happily imagining some of the interesting clothes and jewels she might be able to buy, as well as how nice they would look on her. The few things she had seen in Dove's house indicated that gold and jewels were surprisingly cheap in Skyrim.

"Can't I just stay here?" Louise muttered. She was already tired of Skyrim, it was just far too different for her to handle at once. So many new sights and feelings, too cold, dragons on the horizon and gods at the cross roads. She just wanted to stay in bed where the world was only as far as she could see, just the covers.

"Sorry, but no," Dove answered, reaching over and pulling down the covers. "I'm sending the housecarls up to High Hrothgar when we leave. We'll have at most three days before they get everything up there to explore, so you can either go with them or with us, but you can't stay here."

Louise's only response was to grumble to herself and turn over in bed to press herself against the mattress.

"Does that sound good to the rest?" Dove asked, looking at Kirche and Tabitha.

Tabitha nodded while Kirche shrugged and said, "You know the realm."

"Alright then." Dove then shifted to throw her legs over the edge of her warm be and get all the way up. "I'll tell the others our plans while you three can get ready to go," Dove informed the girls while slipping on a robe. She hadn't worn any of her more daring dresses to bed, but it was still cold.

* * *

"We'll be at High Hrothgar in two days. The courier should reach Lydia in a few days as well, so she should be there," the older housecarl said respectfully to his Thane. The house had been closed down and stripped of most Dove's personal effects and crafting materials.

By tradition, there had been a days' worth of wood, a blanket, and a spare flint left in the front room by the fireplace and the door had been left unlocked in case of an unfortunate soul having need of shelter. Everything else, however, would be taken with them.

"Good, thank you Vladimar," Dove said, smiling. Part of her was a bit nervous about Lydia's reaction to what had happened. The Nord woman had taken on a kind of overbearing mother role to Dove ever since she had seen how reckless Dove was in combat. That would be dealt with later, though, as the group stepped out of the house.

It was a warm morning for Skyrim, the sun was out and snow drifts were just starting to melt. A warm spring in the land of frozen wastes that Dove was going to take full advantage of. "My companions and I are going to visit a few places around Skyrim before joining you," Dove gave her side of the plans, "We won't be long, at most three days."

"As you say, my Thane," Vladimar said with a bow before moving away to finish packing.

"Ready?" Dove asked, looking around at the three girls behind her.

Louise had somehow managed to fit one of Dove's blue and green V-collar dresses on by closing up the collar until it fit and rolling up the skirt while Kirche had found the 'tavern' clothes she had ripped off that vampire, Alva, in Morthal. She wasn't sure whether or not to tell her about that, while Tabitha had changed back into her adorably small greybeard robe.

"It's going to be a bit cold for those," Dove critiqued pointedly at Kirche.

"But they're so... liberating," Kirche said, making up a reason for wearing them apart from the looks she wanted to attract.

Dove decided to burst her bubble and get her back for the book.

"I got that dress off the corpse of a vampire that had enslaved a man and then had one of her thralls burn his wife and daughter alive in their own home so that she could have him all to herself," Dove deadpanned, causing Kirche to go pale and Louise to edge away from her as if she could somehow become dirty just by being near the provocative dress.

"I kept the clothes after I raided the lair she had retreated to because I liked the design and was going to make more of it with different fabrics later," Dove finished her little speech with an internal muse. 'What would Tabitha's reaction be if I made one out of black leather and replaced the bottom skirt with something more… tight.' It was something to look into later.

"I'm going to go change, and bathe" Kirhce decided before turning to go back.

"Alright, just know that it'll have to be a sponge bath since I don't have a bath tub. The only place with water large enough for that is the lake," Dove chirruped, handing over a spare robe.

The elf was having a lot of fun presenting these facts to the slowing greening redhead. 'Revenge,' a darker part of her mind thought.

Tabitha turned towards Dove as Kirche moved towards the wagon where the spare clothes had ended up. "That was mean," she commented disapprovingly.

"Maybe," Dove admitted, picking up a backpack containing the supplies they'll need, "but now she won't freeze to my scales while in flight. They were the only naturally provocative day clothes I own for a reason."

"Did you really get that dress that way?" Louise asked nervously.

"Yup," Dove answered bluntly, "I kind of felt like that vampire owed me something and the dress was about all she had."

"That's disgusting," the pink haired mage declared indignantly, "Just why did you desecrate another person's body like that?!"

"She was already desecrated by the time I killed her," Dove whined childishly, "I just took her interesting clothes afterwards since she didn't need them any longer. It's just the way that it works here. I beat things up and take their stuff, winner take all."

That didn't appear to put Louise at ease. The poor girl was looking even paler than the snow now.

"And luckily for you, you have me," Dove stated, "I always win."

-[]-

A slightly wet and very cold looking Kirche soon rejoined the girls wearing the green mages robe Dove had given her. "Feeling better?" the dragonborn asked.

"Yes," Kirche glared at Dove before demanding, "Why do you have dead people clothes!?"

"I just got through explaining this," Dove sighed before summing it up, "Because I won and that's how it works in Skyrim. Now can we go?"

Kirche looked taken aback by the negligent way Dove was discussing the death and grave robbing of another woman. 'They'll see stranger things before too long,' Dove assured herself in her head. "Moving on," she said out loud, "Let's move."

* * *

The girls rode on Dove's back towards the northeast. The land rushed past beneath them, nothing more than a blur. They were flying low to the ground to avoid catching the eyes of the many archers or mages that would take a dragon in the sky as reason enough to attack.

They were flying so fast that they left a wake when they passed over the water of the lake by Dove's house and flattened the tall grass on the other side as they gained altitude.

Louise gasped and Tabitha allowed a small grin onto her face as the vibrant colors of Skyrim's morning valley were exposed.

As they crested the mountain on the other side, the land beyond exploded in color as the brown and red ground mixed with green trees and gray stone. The land was untamed, the only indication that anyone had even been there before them was the overgrown stone roads winding through the trees.

"Can we just stay here?" Kirche asked, awed by the natural beauty.

"Maybe next time," Dove answered as she pumped her wings again before pulling them close and leisurely gliding down the other side. "For now," the dragon stated, "We're going there."

Curving in flight, Dove angled to the right and followed the mountain range. Up ahead was the large hold of Dragonsreach, the old fort that Dove had first gained the title of Thane in.

* * *

 **So my laptop was basically put down.**

 **I can get it to work by connecting the base to a monitor but that would remove the main reason for having a laptop over a computer station.**

 **So I'm working on building a new one.**

 **ETA on that completion... in the next week or so. Chapters should be able to resume after that.**

 **PS, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!**


	68. MEDIC!

**So...**

 **This took a bit longer then I thought.**

 **In my defence I had to order computer parts and then send one back because it was dead on arival.**

 **SO IT'S NOT MY FAULT!**

 **Skyrim is owned by a company that isn't me and Familiar of Zero is owned by a person far far away.**

* * *

 **DragonSword35d: Julio had chosen him for his logic and leading skills (keeping a cool head and trusting what's in front of him) so I wrote him tolerating things until the extremely unusual happens. (Dragons exist in Tristain but Giants? :) hehehehehe)**

 **AgentDraakis: Animals are smarter then humans and don't take over the world simply because they already have us whipped (Three cats and a dog). Physiology of lizards... might have some connections to dragons, but first off; as you said there are many differences between lizards and dragons, and second; there has never been a female dragon in all of Skyrim so even the vague guide lines there could arguably be thrown out the window. Either way it's going to be fun deciding what correlates and what doesn't. Are you talking about the familiar rune? I'm a bit lost.**

 **Touhou is Life: Yup, magic doesn't make up for the technological advances in war. Skyrim would loose against the modern world. But Znt? I have my doubts.**

 **X-Over Appreciator: HAPPY~ (month-ish late) BIRTHDAY~!**

 **Shakdude5: Thanks!**

 **Akshka: So far it's been great, except when it's not :) :P.**

 **Million Arthur The Yuri King: I always thought of my laptop as Laptop-chan, since all valuable objects are called "she".**

 **dreaddragonknight: Most Daedrics aren't laying in wait to catch random priests, but I'm certainly planning on him running into things created by the Daedrics (Vampires, werewolves, and spriggans oh my)**

 **TedBurningDragon: Neither do I so I guess Housecarls win the fight. I'm guessing sometime around when the Giant's club lands.**

 **BlitzkriegHOSS: Don't tempt me~**

 **Sazq: Thank you. I have to say, Talen is becoming one of my favorite characters behind Dove and Tabitha.**

 **Carre: I think that Louise has just given up on understanding Dove's relationships (romantic or otherwise.) While Kirche already knew. But in FOZ black powder was created by humans whose noble class might not want a revolution. I already have a plan for Louises sister.**

 **TheENDstyler: Here it is.**

 **Cyclinity: How many more until your soul is completely returned? ;)**

 **Mathew5641: Sorry for taking more then a week, I had to get the computer working.**

 **XSDStitch: In all seriousness, I'm thinking he would survive much better then everyone seems to think.**

 **Guest: here it is.**

 **Guest: That's half the fun! :)**

 **Mas Out: Thank you for the info.**

 **bearsage: Thanks, that opening always makes my chuckle.**

 **Mujahideen: Nope there will never be another chapter. :P**

 **Khororhoth: What do you think I'm listening right now?**

 **El Rey: The responses are never word padding, every chapter is atleast 4K long before this part. Sorry for the long responses though. I love finding mistakes like that in other people's stories.**

* * *

 **Story is beta'd by evevee**

* * *

Dove landed a little bit up the road from Whiterun, at the ruined tower she could never remember the name of. It was where she had killed her first dragon and her life had taken a serious but arguably not too horrible left turn.

Swooping in to land on top of the tower caused Dove to shudder as the vivid memories of that fight long ago flashed before her eyes. If she looked around hard enough, she could visualize herself standing on this exact spot.

'Hehe,' Dove mentally chuckled as her thoughts amused her. She had nearly fallen off the side of the tower when the dragon had performed a similar landing so long ago. 'Ah, the memories,' she mused for a moment before lowering her shoulders for the others to get off.

"Why do you have to change so far away?" Louise huffed and whined piteously, "The town is still up the road from here."

"I can't change right in front of the gates where someone would see," Dove answered, annoyed at the whine.

"Isn't there somewhere closer?" Louise asked, still piteously thinking about the cold walk ahead.

"Nope." One thing Dove loved about Whiterun was its location. It gave anyone on the wall a clear line of sight for miles around, something that spoke to her sense of defence but also made it difficult to approach the settlement in her dragon shape.

"That sucks," Louise groaned, wondering about just what other strange godly beings they just might happen to run into on the way. With their kind of luck they might even see Brimir going the other way.

"It's not that bad," Kirche spoke up, "Just think about all the interesting things we'll see on the way."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Louise grummbled.

Dove sighed as she shifted back to an elf and Tabitha provided some leather armor from their pack, while taking an unabashed free look as the elf changed. Noticing the look, Dove smirked and crossed her arms under her breasts.

"Why, thank you," Dove purred as she took the clothes, meeting Tabitha's roving gaze with a rather heated one of her own.

"GET A ROOM!"

* * *

Dove led the way down the road, a spring in her step and a smile on her face as the cold air and familiar landscape helped make her feel alive. Behind her, only Tabitha was handling the nippy air just about as well as Dove while Kirche was rubbing her arms and Louise was shivering like a leaf.

"Only a quarter mile left," Dove called back to the girls. The rough cobblestone road they were walking on was curving around to the left in such a way that those who hadn't walked it before would easily mistake it for a road that passed by the front entrance of the city instead of leading right up to the main gate, another small but interesting defensive feature.

"So, what is this place?" Kirche asked, looking around at the scenery.

"Whiterun," Dove stated, feeling like a tour guide. "It is the centermost and possibly largest hold in all of Skyrim, named for the river running through it. Whiterun is often cold but not snowy year round like other places in Skyrim and has hot springs spotting the area."

"That's nice," Kirche answered, falling into her role as a tourist. "What about where we're going?"

"Whiterun," Dove said before cheekily adding, "Named for the hold, named for the river, is an old settlement dating back to the beginning of recorded history. Back then, it was just the hall of Jorrvaskr, which still stands today, and a small village that was thrown up around it. Now, it is still a small -rustic- hold in architecture and living style, save for Dragonsreach, but it has weathered wars and is the seat of power for this region."

"So it's where I go to see all the shops," Kirche glossed over everything Dove had just said, only picking up on the last line.

"Yes," Dove responded with a sigh, "but it's a very traditional town, don't expect large stores selling knick knacks. Instead, think specialty stores selling exactly what's needed for the farmers, adventurers, and citizens."

"Aw," Kirche groaned in disappointment.

Louise snorted and moved faster, hoping to either get warmer or get out of the cold.

-[]-

"Hey Skulvar," Dove called out to a man they passed on the way in.

The muscular, dark haired stable owner waved cheerfully to her as they passed him by. She had bought her first 'large pack mule' from here and traditionally said hello when passing.

"Greetings, Dragonborn," the man called back as he led one of his charges from grazing back to the stable.

Dove moved off, over the stream, through the drawbridge, and around the bend up to the front gate. "Hi guys," she called to the two guards standing to either side and received a nod before throwing open the heavy front gates by herself.

The sight that greeted the halkeginian natives was of tiled roofs and almost-tan colored buildings. There was something about this place that made the girls feel warm despite the weather.

"The marketplace is straight ahead, in front of the Bannered Mare. You might find a few interesting things for yourself there, Kirche," the elf said, gesturing ahead to the peak of the tavern just visible over the winding road, "or you could follow us. Tabitha, Louise, I have a place you might be interested in visiting."

Kirche nodded happily while Louise looked at Dove curiously and Tabitha just nodded. She was going to follow Dove just for the fact that she knew where everything was. Kirche received a small bag of Septims before skipping off towards the stalls while Tabitha and Louise hung back with the Dragonborn.

The streets through this 'seat of power' were surprisingly empty compared to what they were used to seeing in their own towns and cities. They were paved gravel and the occasional stone and cut deep into the hillside from the years of foot travel they had seen. The wood and tile houses rising above it almost seemed to look down on them.

Taking the lead, Dove took them to the left and up into the winds district, where the Battle-borns and Grey-manes lived. "Interesting houses," Tabitha commented, looking up at the roofs which were large and steep, making the houses look like they were made entirely out of triangles.

"Keeps the snow off," Dove said offhandedly. "Come on, the temple is over here."

"Temple?!" Louise gasped, her last vestiges of faith rebelling against the idea.

"Yes," Dove said, marching towards a large building on the only cobblestone part of the town, "Before you start, I'm not asking you to convert or anything. The priestesses of Kynareth are the best healers I've met outside of the mages at Winterhold."

Louise frowned as even more confusion was heaped on top of her. Tabitha, on the other hand, blinked in suspicion. "Why?" the cerulean asked.

"Louise, your sister's illness reminds me a bit of the Gildergreen," Dove said before pointing up ahead to where the tops of some branches could just be seen. "That tree there, it was struck by lightning and for some reason failed to heal for years until I retrieved sap from the Eldergleam to heal it. There are plenty of differences between your sister and the tree, but the priestesses here studied all kinds of illnesses that have refused to get better as a symptom while trying to cure it. I think they might have something that could help her."

The pink mage gasped as she remembered Cattleya. Her sister's condition was often on her mind, but the shock of coming here had pushed her sister further back in her mind.

"And they might be able help your mother Tabitha," Dove added as they arrived at a pair of doors before turning to her lover.

Tabitha frowned, her mind racing behind her eyes before she slowly shook her head. "Mother was poisoned. That made her insane, it is not a disease," she argued sadly. She was at a loss as to how to help her mother since she didn't know exactly what was in that drink.

"We won't know until we try," Dove returned before turning back to the door and adding, "Come on, give them a chance."

Louise looked cautiously hopeful, but Tabitha looked even more blank than before as she tried not to get her hopes up again.

Dove pushed her way through the door. Inside the temple was a large space. Almost the entire building was one room, with a flagstone and tile floor. Clear water somehow flowed into and around a mosaic of a bird in the center and green plants hung from the ceiling.

Tabitha let a bit of awe escape her as the room somehow gave the impression of a forest grove and a building at the same time. "I know right?" Dove asked, grinning. "It feels like a forest in here."

"That is the blessing of nature," a thickly accented voice informed them.

"Hey there, Danica," Dove offhandedly greeted the tan and yellow robed woman who approached them, an easy smile on her face.

"And what have you brought me this time, Dragonborn?" The woman asked despairingly while her sharp eyes darted over the girls. The party with the Dragonborn this time wasn't her usual run of the mill adventurers, and their hair was strange.

Crossing her arms, she giving Dove a mock stern look, "You only come in here when someone's been hit by a giant, mauled by a troll, or half eaten by a dragon and expect me to fix them, so out with it."

"You wound me," Dove gasped dramatically, "I'll have you know that I come in here for many other reasons, like it's so cold outside or hey quicker to go through then around." An impish smirk grew on her face.

The older nord snorted and shook her head. This single woman was why she drank.

"So, I didn't bring anyone who needs healing," Dove started, looking both endearing and guilty, "but~ I have two patients that I couldn't bring with me. Do you think you could give me some advice on how to help them if I describe their symptoms?"

The priestess snorted again and rubbed her temple. "Why does that not surprise me?" she sighed before shaking her head. Returning her attention to Dove she said, "We'll see what we can do. What are these symptoms?"

Dove smiled and took a step back. "I'll let these two describe them since they know each case better than I do," she said, gesturing towards her two companions.

Louise shot an uneasy look at Dove while Tabitha took a pace forwards. "Hallucinations," she clinically stated, "Insanity, unable to recognize even close family. Was poisoned."

"Poisoned?" Danica asked, "Do you know what she was poisoned with?"

Tabitha shook her head. "Magic water is all I know," she stated, trying to keep the fear and self loathing from the memory out of her voice.

Danica however picked up on the subtle tremor. "They must be important to you," she stated causing Tabitha to blink as she tried to suppress her reactions even more.

"No matter," the Priestess said with a frown, "There isn't much that I can tell you without knowing what was in the drink, I am sorry."

Tabitha nodded, expecting that as the answer and turned away.

"However," Danica continued, "I can offer you some potions for cure poison. I don't know how effective it might be against whatever was drank but it can't hurt to try." She was already planning on praying to Kynareth for this girl so she added, "You might also try praying to one of the aedra. Mara, Stendarr, and Arkay might be able to help."

Tabitha tilted her head as a question occurred to her. "Not a Daedra?" she asked. The mix of Aedra and Daedra worship in this land was rather confusing.

"You can if you want," Danica said bitterly, "but it's our experience that Daedric help will cause more harm than good."

Tabitha just gave the helpful woman a nod before stepping back. "Acolyte Jenssen," the Priestess called out to a tall man with shaggy brown hair standing by the far wall of the temple, "please get me our strongest cure poison potions. I think this child needs our best."

"Right away, Priestess," the acolyte acknowledged in a deep voice before marching off towards the storage area.

"And now you, child," Danica said, turning towards the pink haired girl. "What ails the person you're seeking to treat?"

Louise bit her lip a bit, the advice offered to Tabitha not exactly filling her with hope but she tried anyways. "My sister has some kind of wasting sickness," she stated, also not entirely sure what was wrong with her sister. "She tires easily and gets seriously ill from even the most simple of colds," she continued, "I can't think of a time when she wasn't sick. This disease has never left her."

"A never truly improving immune system," Danica mussed, "I might have something that will help her, just a moment."

Turning on her heel, the Priestess walked off in the direction she had sent the acolyte before her. Louise allowed a nervous frown to stretch across her face as she watched the woman leave.

"You're sure she can help?" she asked again, turning to Dove.

"Have faith," Dove answered with a sigh. She was getting rather tired of this question.

The Acolyte was the first to return. He was carrying a small red potion with a wax sealed top. "Here you are," he said, handing over the bottle with an apologetic smile, "Our strongest cure poison potion. I'm sorry that we can't give you more definitive help."

Tabitha nodded in acknowledgment and took the bottle from his hands.

-[]-

"Here we are."

The potion given to Louise was a peculiar color in Dove's potion making experience. A clear glass bottle with a light gold color liquid inside of it, yet she was certain she had seen it before.

"Is that the Eldergleam sap?" the adventurer asked for confirmation.

"Yes," Danica replied to Dove while Louise examined the bottle intently. "We had some left over from healing the Gildergreen. This sap has incredible rejuvenating properties and should be sufficient for what your sister needs to get back on her feet."

"The Gilder-what?" Louise asked dumbly. She had forgotten what Dove had said before entering the building and the names were so new to her. However, this potion seemed to be really important to both Dove and Danica.

"The large tree out the front doors," Dove reiterated. "It was struck by lightning and didn't get better until I went out and got some sap from the tree that it was originally a cutting of." Shaking her head, Dove added, "It was rather unnatural, seeing a tree move that fast."

"So, this is tree blood?" Louise asked feeling even more confused. 'Moving trees?'

"Technically all sap is tree blood," Dove answered, "This one was a bit more lively than other though. The roots moved when you… disturbed them and the spriggins literally popped out of the woodwork when I was there."

Louise's head felt hot and was hurting from trying to figure out what was a hyperbole or fact in that sentence. Skyrim made no sense, she decided with a groan. How was she going to survive to get back to the academy?

Dove openly snickered at the pink girl's expression before finishing up with the Priestess. "Thank you for your help," she said with a small nod, "I appreciate it."

"You're welcome," Danica answered back solemnly. "Still wish I knew what to give your blue haired friend though." She then ruined the tone she had set up by smirking and asking, "How did she get blue hair in the first place or the pink one? Did they drink something they shouldn't and end up like that? Akatosh knows you hardly bother labeling your potions."

"It's completely natural where they're from," Dove answered, smiling back and ignoring the insinuation about her organizational skills.

"I completely believe that," Danica chuckled. It was an old hand between the two women that had started back when she had visited Dove's home and couldn't find a single label in the entire house.

Dove's reason, 'nobody but me is going to use these anyway,' hadn't been good enough in her opinion and she had forced the elf to spend the entire next day filling out a list of just what she had stashed around her abode.

That had led to an interesting day, especially when Dove had opened a dusty cupboard and found a potion that had turned black and bubbly. The tree that she had disposed of the potion next to had been suspiciously absent the next morning.

* * *

Louise felt more comfortable when she was back outside. The temple was interesting, and the Priestess running it had been kind, but there was something about seeing so much... so much... so much something. Power? Authority? Presence maybe? So much something contrary and missing from the churches back in Tristan that made her feel small.

"There you are."

Dove had led them out another door than the one they had entered by, into a courtyard with a statue of a man stabbing a dragon, clear flowing gutters, and a massive tree in the center of it all with benches and overhangs around it.

Kirche had been standing by the large tree and called out to them when they had walked out. "You won't believe how cheap these earrings are," the redhead said, shifting a lock of her hair to better show off her ears and the new adornment found there.

"Nice," Dove commented at the golden dragons-nordic knots that made up the beautiful piece.

"I think I never want to leave this place," Kirche sighed contentedly as she felt the design with her fingers again.

"At least one of us is enjoying this," Louise grumbled below her breath.

Kirche, however, noticed Louise's dark outlook.

"Something up?" she asked the pink girl, trying to figure out what was dampening her mood. "Could they help your sister?" she followed up guessing.

"They had something they think could help her," Louise said quickly before her letting her face fall again, "It's just so... strange. Everything about this land feels like it's rubbing me the wrong way. I can't explain it."

Dove frowned in contemplation. It wouldn't be nearly as much fun showing the girls the highlights of Skyrim if one of them was uncomfortable. "What in particular feels bad?" she asked. "Is the discomfort physical? Or emotional?"

Louise fowned as she tried to gauge herself. "Sort of emotional, I think," she said, "but there is something physical about it. It's almost like... something cold is flowing through me."

"Something cold?" Dove echoed, "Have you tried casting the warming spell perhaps? Maybe that can help with you feel better."

Louise shook her head. "Not yet," she said before reaching out to cast Revel.

POP "GGAAHU!" A strangled gasp escaped Louise as the spell burst out of her body like large zit of light instead of the tiny sun it was supposed to be. Louise reflexively grabbed at her arm as the flash of intense pain through her arm left phantom twinges behind.

"LOUISE!" Dove reacted before the girl's cry had faded by moving up to stand next to her and focusing on the arm, "What happened, are you hurt?!"

"I was trying to cast the warming spell you taught us,' Louise replied as she gently felt along her arm, "Then everything in my arm felt tense and cramped, the magic just sort of burst from it like that. It stings a bit."

The other girls automatically moved around their injured companion, creating a small guard of sorts while the Nirn native worked.

"Do you need a health potion?" Dove asked, trying to gauge how hurt she was.

Louise shook her head, it stung but didn't truly hurt. "I'm fine," she verbalized, "but what was that?"

"I don't know," Dove said thoughtfully, "I've never seen anything quite like that happen to a mage. Could it be because you got magicka from my potion or where you're from?"

"I don't think it's either of those," Kirche had some relevant input, "I used a bit of magicka while shopping and nothing happened to me."

"So it isn't because of your realm and not my potion," Dove scratched those possibilities off her mental list. "Then what?"

The others seemed just as lost as Dove. Despite their physical differences, there wasn't anything different between Kirche and Louise. Their magicka had come from the same source, and the realm they came from was the same, there wasn't much else that drastically altered how one uses magicka.

Dove was confused and upset. Reaching up, the elf rubbed her head to stop a migraine she knew would come from the mystery. This reaction had her stumped and it did not sit well with her affecting her friend.

Tabitha watched as Louise rubbed her arm, equally as thoughtful as Dove. There was something on the edge of her mind, another option that they were overlooking but she just couldn't bring the idea out of the corner it had taken refuge in.

'Something unique about Louise,' she guessed, certain that it was but couldn't name the thought. She decided to keep quiet about it for now while she tried to coax it out.

"Do we need the Priestess?" Tabitha asked, moving on from her confusion.

Kirche perked up at her friend's words. "Priestess?" she asked "What do you mean?"

"The Priestesses of this city are some of the best healers in the province," Dove clued Kirche in, "but they focus more on physical ailments. I think we need someone who works extensively with magicka: the college of winterhold."

"Your school?" Louise asked hopefully. Magic school was something familiar.

"Yes," Dove answered. That was the next place on their list anyway and Colette should be able to do something for Louise. "If we leave now we can get there in a few hours by dragon back," she offered, "but that would mean cutting off the rest of our sight seeing here. Does anyone mind that and Louise, are you sure you're not in pain?"

"I'm not," Louise declared as she let go of her arm, "It feels better. Let's go visit the rest of Whiterun before the college."

"Really?" Kirche asked, "It's not any trouble to me if we leave now."

"I said I'm not in pain," Louise snapped before rounding on her redheaded friend. "Quit babying me. Where to next Dove?"

Kirch snorted at Louise's antics before sighing in exasperation. "I was thinking about visiting the companions. Farkas is a member and they're one of the most famous band of mercenaries in the land and the skysteel forge is nearby."

"Great!" Louise said overly enthusiastically before marching off in a random direction, "Let's go!"

"Wrong way," Dove muttered, unfortunately too low for Louise to hear.

"What about affinities?" Tabitha suddenly asked.

"What?" Dove hadn't been paying attention to her as Louise started to get further away.

"Could Louise's affinity cause that?" Tabitha had finally caught the thought that had been eluding her.

Dove frowned as, again, her thoughts turned to the pink summoner. "I don't know," she admitted, "The void is supposed to be special among the affinities because it was Brimir's affinity, but not much else is known about it as far as I know."

Shaking her head Dove came to a decision, "We need more information. We'll get through Whiterun quickly then head straight for Winterhold. That will appease Louise now that she has dug her heels in."

Tabitha nodded, agreeing to that line of thinking.

"DOVE! Where are the companions supposed to be!?" An angry and lost voice shouted at the group causing a short bark of laughter to escape the elf.

"Come on," said elf said, "She's gotten lost long enough."

* * *

 **Okay, done for now.**

 **Hopefully my writing schedul will get more consistent now without the technical issues.**

 **(PS: I HAVE OVER 1000 Followers! I can rule the world now!)**


	69. old Friends and threats (Quote)

**HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

 **I don't own familiar of zero or skyrim.**

 **yet**

* * *

 **ForgottenGrimore: I honestly didn't spend that long with Aela, preferring vampire over werewolf, but I think she would be disappointing with Kirche's aditude.**

 **DragonSword35d: Louise would blow a gasket, while everyone else would just not care, Skyrim is very informal outside of the legion.**

 **Sharkdude5: Thank you.**

 **Akshka: The search for free time hasn't been so successful, the issue with building your own computer is that everyone wants to use it now.**

 **Mathew5641: I don't think that Tabitha will meet Dove's biological mother, she's in another Provence, as for meeting Mara; that's going to happen.**

 **Rook115: Tabitha wouldn't care, she has Dove, Louise would be confused on what to do, and Kirche would love the opportunity to try some(one)thing new. It is a funny thought though.**

 **Toughou is Life: nope, the next milestone is perfecting my long distance mind control thought computer device.**

 **halo is bad ass: Louise has kind of shifted from the main character to a more secondary one, I guess I like writing Dove a bit more. Keep thinking that, you might be Pinky and the Brain but I'm Kova.**

 **HazardousRecon: oh crap... I didn't think of that but I'm totally saying yes. :)**

 **TheENDstyler: It really sucks what happened with Tabithas' mother, but I also really like how it was resolved in the anime, which I can't do because I got rid of Sato... It's going to be fun having Dove crush elven whats-his-face.**

 **Cyclinity: Thank you for saying that. I have mentioned it in previous chapters but I was told some rather bad things about my potential to read and write in school (fifth grade at best was the diagnosis). To have so many people like you say this really helps.**

 **Million Arthur The Yuri King: Thank you.**

 **RedBurningDragon: I was thinking about TF2. yes, or sithis.**

 **Chimera Spyke; Then I will command Maryland! ALL PEOPLE NAMED MARY SHALL BE MINE TO COMMAND!**

 **Guest: Here it comes.**

 **dreaddragonknight: I think that anyone would be exasperated and weary of someone like Dove in real life.**

 **AgentDraakis: ah, I understand now.**

 **RedLightD608: Something like that.**

 **NacNak: Thank you.**

 **Carre: The biggest reason I'm staying away from Gunpowder is that it reminds Dove of the Dwemer, it's something that might go off in her hands but has to be addressed. I was thinking about sending her to one that was completely and utterly boring: earth.**

 **kimiko: Thank you. I keep seeing twins when I think of Dove's future.**

 **Ronmr: I will.**

 **amerdism: I always thought that Dragon's weren't 'born' in Skyrim, that they came into being by Akatosh's power, that might be a misunderstanding I can't remember, so when they 'die' they return to pure power and reconstruct themselves unless something prevents them ie burial mounds, or another dragon - born - consumes it where it adds itself to them, less like jail cells and more like pouring two cups of water into another. I hadn't thought about what happens when the Dragonborn dies. The cover was made for me by perfectshade and might still have the original cover art.**

* * *

 **Beta'd by evevee**

* * *

Louise stood glaring over her shoulder at her slow companions. What were they doing standing around back there for? They should have been on her tail as soon as she had started moving, yet they were just standing around talking!

Deciding to ignore them for now, she resumed marching down the stone steps in the direction she was certain the companions were in.

"Wait," the pink haired mage thought out loud as something contradicted her line of thought, "Isn't that the inn Dove mentioned?" On her left was a large, two door building that Dove had pointed out.

The area she was standing in was a bend in the road that made a natural market space. In the middle of the open area was a well with a small gathering of stands selling things fruit, meat, and jewelry around the edges.

The thought, 'One of these things is not like the other,' occurred to Louise while looking around, but she ignored it in favor of finding out where she was. Walking forwards she stood next to the well and turned in a circle.

"DOVE! Where are the Companions supposed to be!?" She yelled, quickly getting fed up with looking around in confusion.

"SHUT UP! I'M TRYING TO DRINK IN PEACE!" roared a woman's voice from one of the side roads that ran in between the buildings.

Louise, in a moment of extreme annoyance, yelled back, "MAKE ME!"

A stern blond woman in thick plate armor with a large steel greatsword strapped to her back came across the open ground to answer the short teenager's demand.

Louise felt her anger drain away along with the blood in her face at the developing situation. The woman had to be at least three feet taller than she was. "Um, ah," was all she managed to get out before the woman started advancing on her.

Blond and large kept on marching towards her until she towered over pink and short. Blond's shadow seemed to block out the very sun as she stared down her nose at Louise.

"What was that you said, Girl?" the blonde growled, going as far as to bear her teeth like a hungry wolf as she came within biting distance of the mage.

"I-I-" Louise stuttered in panic, her feet taking her backwards. However, Blond noticed her movement and moved forwards in sync as Louise retreated. Soon, she was standing at the bottom of the steps.

"Uthgerd!"

'Thank Brimir and Akatosh too,' Louise mentally exclaimed. The voice of one Dægeseáge Nightvale saved the day. The steel clad woman, Uthgerd, looked up from her prey.

Dove stood behind Louise on the steps while Tabitha and Kirche stood flanking her one more step up.

"Who? Oh, Dragonborn," Uthgerd's voice, and entire demeanor, somehow went from dark and ominous to light and cheerful in a heartbeat, "Where have you been?"

Dove smiled at the hard woman. "Here and there," she answered ambiguously before smirking, "Still standing around looking for a drink and fight?"

"Yeah."

"Good, good. Can you leave my friend alone? She's new."

Uthgerd frowned and looked back at Louise, prompting a squeak from the mage, before looking back at her associate. "I guess," she groused. "What're doing here? You're always chasing some fight or other, is it going to come down on all of us here?"

Dove shook her head. "Nope," She answered, "Just showing some foreign friends around."

"Hm," Uthgerd replied, "I see."

The two women stood there awkwardly, neither quite sure who was supposed to respond. "So, then," Dove continued awkwardly, "I guess I'll see you around."

"Sure," Uthgerd acknowledged just as awkwardly.

"Bye, have a good day."

"Sure, you too." Uthgerd said, taking one last look at the party before moving off.

Dove gave a wave as she left. "Glad that's over," she commented.

"Who was that?" Kirche asked, watching the short steel giant as she trudged up and into the Bannered Mare.

"Uthgerd," Dove said. "She's a sellsword who tried to get into the companions," Dove sighed and shook her head, "To join they have to duel an existing member or impress them. She killed the person she was up against."

"She killed a companion?" Tabitha asked with interest. Dove had spoken of the Companions like they were invincible, and meeting Farkas in person had only increased her respect for their skill. "Must be strong," she pronounced.

"Indeed," Dove said, "but the fight unsettled the Companions. Many think she is 'too hot headed' and she says that she didn't mean to kill him, that he was too young and they had only put her against him because she was a woman. In the end they parted on bad terms."

"How do you know her?" Kirche asked.

"In the Mare," Dove answered, pointing at the tavern with a grimace, "She was drunk and wanted to fight. I lost the first round."

That interested everyone there.

"Anyway," Dove said, moving past the memory of waking up on the ground with a split lip and a headache, "the Companions are this way." She pointed back the way they had come.

"So," Kirche started with a teasing smile, "We're not going to talk about how you got to be on such good terms with the woman who knocked you out?

Dove glanced over her shoulder and answered, "No."

* * *

"This is the hall of the Companions?" Tabitha questioned, looking at the building Dove had led them to. It was an odd looking structure that stood out amongst its neighbors. The roof was a smooth bowl shape that reminded those from Tristain of an overturned boat.

"Yes," Dove answered, "the mead hall of Jorrvaskr. Made from the timbers of a longboat of the same name, this place was built by a party from the five hundred companions of Ysgramor led by Jeek of the river."

"So it's an upside down boat," Kirche said, again sounding like a tourist more than anything else. The smooth and ovoid shaped roof was a dead giveaway.

"It technically is," Dove answered as she strode up the stairs. She wasn't part of the companions per say, but she loved this old building and those who called it home. "The original inhabitants of this building were the crew members who built it. They just needed some cover to get out of the rain and winds, but they brought warriors into their little group, and those warriors brought in other warriors seeking to join the legendary men, until it was the proud home of Companions."

Dove shivered as she laid a hand on the old handle. "Legions of formidable warriors, many famous men and women have come from this upturned little boat."

Her words gave some measure of gravity to the building in front of them. It suddenly looked more than old, it still looked ancient and battered but now it somehow felt wise on top of it all. Dove, despite her respect of the hall, hadn't spent too long in here, only long enough to help them out with their little silver hand issue, but it had engrained it's presence into her very being. Everything good that characterised the noble nords of Skyrim could be found under this roof in her opinion.

Moving forwards, Dove led the party into the building.

"HAHA, SUCK IT NJADA!"

'Yup,' Dove thought ironically as the booming shout almost blew out her ear drums, 'Everything nordic can be found under this one roof.'

A group of battle hardened men and women stood around the periphery of the room, watching a pair square off. On one side was a female nord in hide armor named Njada, while on the other was a dunmer man named Athis. The two of them were fighting with their bare fists.

The comparatively prim and proper school girls were just in time to be treated to front row seats as the grey skinned elf sent the woman sprawling with a heavy blow to the face.

Louise felt a little faint watching the elf apparently win.

'Why did we have to walk into this here and now? I just built this place up before walking in. I guess this is one of the most common features, heck even I've had a few brawls here myself,' Dove thought exasperatedly before she pulled her attention back to here and now. "Hey Athis, finally won one on Njada?" Dove called cheerfully.

"Dragonborn!" Athis called happily, almost seeming to bounce like a puppy, "I won. I finally beat her!"

Dove gave an awkward little laugh as her new friends gave her strange looks. 'Please let this end,' she internally begged for relief. 'Why can't others suffer as much as me.'

* * *

Bevier was actually enjoying this part of the journey. The air was crisp, the road was calm, and he was almost certain now that that woman back in the town had been joking about there being giants.

There might be normal things like bandits out there, but obviously no giants.

Another good thing about walking on this road was that it gave the priest some time to think and recenter himself. This act had prompted a wince from Bevier since he now realized that he was being too hasty.

His job was finding Baroness Bosquet and getting her potion recipe out of her while learning all she knew about the elves under the school. This reckless decision he had made to hunt down the non believers in this land simply wasn't his job.

Damn his zealousness. The land was simply too big a job for him alone to bring to the understanding of Brimir, he would need an entire chapter of priests and knights to pacify these heathens.

They had no knowledge of Brimir's greatness to start with, and he had nowhere near enough time to bring it to them from scratch with his own marching orders hanging over his head.

To top all his foolishness off, he had run off without getting a scent for Talen to follow. It was only sheer dumb luck that his familiar had picked up an old trail from his quarry indicating she had followed this road before.

Baroness Bosquet must have traveled this road a lot to have left a trail even with her strangely omnipresent scent, so he hoped it led towards wherever she spent most of her time.

Now, he could only continue forwards and hope to run into a fresher scent for Talen to follow. Whiterun was the center of the region he reasoned, so she was bound to pass through it at some point.

The stretch of road that he was walking on hugged the side of the mountain. On one side was broken, craggy, layers, while the other had a steep drop off into a river. Up ahead was an old stone bridge across the chasm and river.

The green and dark grey from the stone and shrubs mixed with the subtle brown of dirt and divided by stark white of snow and river rapids, they really complimented each other when they mixed and created so many different shades between them.

"HEY!"

A rude voice suddenly pulled him out of his depressive thoughts. Standing in front of him was a rough looking man in fur armor. "You know this is a toll road, right?" the man growled, one hand reaching towards a large sword on his back.

'Really?' Bevier was not amused. "I'm sorry sir," he tried to play it off, "I don't have any money with me. I only carry the words of our lord and god Brimir." Maybe he could convince this man that he was just a wandering priest, all countries did what they could for a man of Brimir after all.

A sad note to add was that he literally was a wandering priest at this point.

On another side note, he really needed to find a way to get food, this journey is starting to get a little long.

"I see, well that's too bad."

The man suddenly moved to draw his sword. "Everyone has to pay with something," he growled.

Bevier had his wand out before the bandit had fully drawn. A thrust and a nonverbal spell caused a cracking sound as a rock pulled away from the edge of the road overlooking the river. Said stone flew at his attacker with the speed of an arrow and caused a solid crack when it impacted under the man's raised left arm.

The bandit roared in pain as a rib broke and Talen decided to capitalized on the man's pain. Leaping forwards, the germalian shepard dog bit down on the man's knee joint where the armor was weakest.

The man's scream intensified as his leg no longer carried his weight and he went down.

"Get him Talen!" Bevier encouraged as he whipped his wand in the air and created a sword out of the ground.

Talen, urged on by his summoner, shook himself as only a dog could and was rewarded by a crack as the knee joint either dislocated or broke.

"Good boy," Bevier congratulated, "Now then." Moving forwards, Bevier held his magicly created sword over the man's neck, "I have some questions that I would love to have answered honestly if y-"

"Kale! What's going on?" A man's voice interrupted with a shout from the nearby tower attached to the old bridge.

"Oh crap,' Bevier moaned as an armored head poked out of a window above.

"GUYS! KALES BEEN TAKEN DOWN BY SOME SELLSWORD AND HIS RABID WOLF!"

"WHAT?!"

A chorus of voices, rough male and female, shouted in alarm as the entire encampment was alerted to his presence.

Bevier paled, there had to be over ten voices now crying for him and Talen's blood. "Talen, drop and run!" he shouted before following his own words.

Talen obediently dropped his leg from his mouth, confused as to why he could keep playing with it up until a sharp stick stabbed into the ground close to him. Recognizing it, and the shouts of anger from the tall thin stone, as a threat he loped after Bevier.

'Why me?' Bevier groaned internally, not wasting any of his breath whining outloud.

Dove inexplicably felt better.

* * *

"So, he was nice," Kirche commented from her spot at the table.

The party was seated at the main table spanning the center of Jorrvaskr. After Athis had paraded off on his small victory high and Njada had picked herself up off the ground, Dove had brought them all over to the table and seated them around one corner of it.

"I can't believe he hit her though," Louise grumbled.

Dove shrugged as she pulled a bit of fish, bread and cheese from a nearby chest, "I think that's how they flirt. Those two have been going at each other like that for as long as I have known them."

"Are elf and humans together common?" Tabitha asked, intrigued at how unique her relationship with Dovea actually was. The uneasy look on Louise's face and the interested smirk on Kirche's told her what their opinions were.

"Not really in Skyrim," Dove said, coming over and spreading what was 'snack food' for a Companion out in front of her companions, "It's more of a regional thing. You'll find more diverse relationships in places with more diverse populations. Here in Skyrim it's Nords, Nords, and everyone else."

"It's not against the law or something?" Louise asked, looking surprised.

"Nope, not even in Windhelm, which was the seat of power for a group of Nordic extremists called the Stormcloaks," Dove answered. "They allowed elves to live within their walls even if they faced a lot of hostility and suspicion, but the beast people are often not allowed within the holds due to their reputations."

"Are these extremists an issue?" Tabitha asked, picking up a slice of meat.

Dove frowned darkly and shook her head,"Not anymore."

"What happened?" Kirche inquired.

"Tensions grew until a civil war broke out in Skyrim. Then I ended it," Dove summed up, but had to groan as their looks all demanded more information.

"Okay," Dove said, sitting upright. "A quick history: Skyrim is a province of the Empire and was involved with the rest of the Empire in the Great war. The war was between us and the Aldmeri Dominion, another empire to the south west, far across the continent."

"A human and elf war?" Kirche clarified.

"For the most part," Dove allowed, "There were all kinds of species on both sides, but the Aldmeri Dominion was mostly made up of Altmer, high elves, and ruled by elven supremacists called the Thalmor while the empire was a mix."

"The sad thing is, the Empire technically lost. Conflict ended with the signing of the White-Gold Concordat, a document that heavily favored the Aldmeri Dominion and banned worship of one of the aedra named Talos."

Dove glanced over at Louise. "Way back when you first summoned me, you tried to tell me that my gods were false and that Brimir was the only true god. My experience with the Thalmor is why I refused out of hand and called down a thunderstorm to... impress upon you the need to never do that again."

Louise looked down at the table, "I remember."

"Continuing~," Dove sung, Akatosh this was taking a while, "As I said before, the Dominion fought the Empire and won, forcing upon them an agreement called the White-Gold Concordat which outlawed worship of Talos, gave them a portion of south Hammerfell, and disbanded a certain group of warriors who had been the emperor's personal guard, the Blades."

Shaking her head Dove got to the more recent events. "Returning from this war was a man named Ulfric Stormcloak, a Jarl or ruler in Skyrim. He was deeply angered by the 'cowardly actions of the Empire' and that they were 'too weak to protect the people,' since they had given into the Dominion."

Dove then leaned in and muttered. "Ulfric had been captured by the elves, some say that they did something to him there that drove him mad and made him into a puppet. His actions later in life would help carve a path for Thalmor inquisitors to 'inspect' Skyrim and effectively stomp on an already delicate situation."

That unsettled everyone, but none interrupted as they wanted to know how this related to their question.

Sighing, Dove hurried to finish. "Ulfric ruled rather fairly, but hated the Empire for what happened. When the old high king of Skyrim died, he put forth his name as a possible successor while giving a speech just short of treason against the Empire. He was rejected by the moot in favor of another and in anger challenged the new high king to a dual for Skyrim the 'old nordic way' and killed him."

"Let me guess, a civil war happened next?" Kirche asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Yup," Dove answered hollowly, the story of Ulfric, whether his tortures and mental manipulation under the Thalmor were true or not, resonated with her. He was an interesting man in her opinion, despite the rebellion he caused, who stuck to his beliefs and had impressed her.

"Ulfric, his Stormcloaks, and several other Jarls who agreed with him went against the Empire, which was in a fragile state after the war. Skyrim was split right down the middle and the Empire was wasting resources putting down the rebellion. This is where I came in."

Tabitha recognized the look coming over Dove's face and reached over and touched Dove's hand to remind her that they were here and now and not back then. The elven Dragonborn jerked a bit in surprise and glanced down at her hand before looking over at Tabitha and giving her a tight smile.

"To sum it up, the Stormcloaks were a bunch of Nordic freedom fighters who wanted to establish a truly Nordic kingdom," Dove quickly pulled herself out of the narrative and her own involvement, "They weren't anti-elf per say, but elves were a second class citizens under them and confined to their own areas in the holds they ruled. Things could have ended very badly if they had been in charge."

"They lost the civil war?" Kirche asked thoughtfully, "and you had something to do with that. Right?"

"Yes," Dove nodded tensely, "but that's another story. Let's go visit the Skyforge, the reason why this hold even exists in the first place."

"Come on, tell us," Kirche asked quickly as the elf stood up.

"Later," Dove countered, "Coming here hasn't been nearly as fun as I thought it would be."

'Define fun,' Louise thought, mulling over the story Dove had given her. Looking at Dove, she was really regretting now not learning more about her own familiar, that she had to learn about something like this second hand.

'I should have followed Julio's advice,' she bemoaned, 'He said I should talk to her more.' This was what he must have meant when he encouraged her to discuss her religion all those months ago, it was a topic starter.

She didn't see any other reason why he might suggest such action.

"Lets see the forge," Tabitha interceded on her lover's behalf, going as far as to give an encouraging smile.

Dove smiled back as her normally mono faced lover cute smile banished the emotions conjured by her memory. "Great," she said, moving towards the nearest door.

The door led out to the yard behind Jorrvaskr, which was a covered dining area, glorified weapon rack, and training yard with dummies practicing on other dummies.

"Round this way," Dove stated, leading them around the edge of the building and on a path to the left.

"So this 'hold' was built because of this building, which was built because of this forge," Kirche said leadingly, "Why?"

"It was found by Jeek and his crew," Dove responded. "The elves who lived here before feared it for unknown reasons, but it produced steel that was stronger and held an edge better than anything else."

"Elves lived here first?" Kirche asked, for some reason she wasn't afraid, just curious.

"Yes," Dove said, "the elves living under your school are descendants of the snow elves, they were the original inhabitants of Skyrim. Ysgramor was the leader of the five hundred companions that Jeek was a part of and basically kicked them out in a war."

"Wow," Louise gasped as Dove led them up some stairs and rounded the corner at the top.

Standing on the top of the small stand of rocks was a large statue of an eagle. The stone bird rose out of a pit of molten metal and embers giving it a burnt orange glow. An old man stood hammering on a glowing bar nearby.

"Hey Eorlund," Dove called out and waved to the man.

"Well, you're back. What's wrong now?" Eorlund said shortly.

"Why does everyone think something's wrong when I come back for a visit?" Dove asked thin air.

Eorlund Gray-mane raised an eyebrow. The last time she had visited him it was to repair a sword, that just so happened to be destroyed the next day when the Stormcloaks had tried to seize Whiterun.

The time before that was a helm that had broken from a fight with a dragon. Next was when she needed to have the material of a sword identified that had apparently led her into conflict with some gang.

It was just common sense around large holds, not just Whiterun, to give the Dragonborn as wide a berth as a real dragon nowadays.

* * *

 **Hello everyone,**

 **hope you're having a good day/night**

 **This is being posted at 12:01 where I am so it's one of the first stories of the year!**

 **Please don't burst my bubble by talking about time zones and all that**

 **Anyway**

 **!HAPPY NEW YEAR!**


	70. let's get it started (ha)

**Wow**

 **That was a cringe worthy amount of time.**

 **By the way, school started for me.**

 **Familiar of Zero is owned by another and Skyrim is owned by a company.**

* * *

 **Guest000: ...Oops, I forgot that while writing sorry.**

 **Kalomin: My plans for the civil war are that it was** **basically** **canon, but with an** **emphasis** **on how it effects a person (Dove) on a personal level. Killing is common in Skyrim but I'm changing glorious missions to clear forts to Hard assaults on** **defensible** **positions that are more realistic, so no open front doors or back doors into the** **dungeon, a lot of 'real' people had to die to get in. I am going to change other adventures in Skyrim, like the one in the next chapter ;p**

 **RedLightningD608: I was enjoying a slow moment in my story telling, but there is some set up for the events in the next chapter.**

 **ivanruzic3758: I was planing on them finding out on the way out of Skyrim, but I might change that to sooner. The Bishop is smart enough to know when to run at least, he'll be doing that a lot.**

 **Mujahideen: Is your name in Dovahzul? I can't find a translation. Thanks and Vampires/dawnguard are in the DLC Dawnguard, and maybe, I get attacked often enough to** **warrant** **just throwing them in somewhere :(**

 **XSDStitch: To those from Tristain it is a horror. For the most part, towns don't have walls to keep her out and she just shows up so does them no good trying to plan for her arrival.**

 **Carre: Thank you. It was abrupt (First word) because I hate writing tourism. I couldn't think of a way to move the story along while in the chapter but still had to add five-hundred words to satisfy my needed length. Ever seen GATE? Its an anime about modern day japan (** **Because** **where else is it going to happen in anime) where a portal from a** **medieval** **fantasy world pops up in the middle of** **Tokyo. It's funny, its serous, I liked the episodes I watched, Dove would get stuck in the middle of that.**

 **VulpineSnow: Agreed (^-^)**

 **XInsanityXGuiltechXShadowwindX: That would draw dragons to her, but what about everything else in Skryim? Why do they want a** **piece** **of me?! :'(**

 **Akshka: Thank you.**

 **Touhou is Life: did you change your image? MERICA F**K YA! yes I am. That's take too long here, in a PM maybe?**

 **TheENDstyler: I don't think Biever will give up, just learn to keep his mouth shut.**

 **Hell Fire: Maybe, he certainly can't do it himself.**

 **dreaddragonknight: I think that might be managed in a smaller town :)**

 **Cyclinity: I dislike Julio, so I wrote Biever to be different then him, to have some very different skills and personality. I hope it doesn't disapoint.**

 **Cheese PuffXx & headreviewer mk2: Thank you and to you.**

 **RedBurningDragon: All places I mentionin Skyrim are on the map, now you just need to find them ;P.**

 **Rook115: I know, I have the same memory issue and have taken to rereading my own work. Now I want to write Dovahkiin eating a whale :)**

 **NacNak: Looking forwards!**

 **Incarnation of Insanity: A while ago I heard a theory about how Ulfric was an unwilling sleeper agent for the Thalmor. I was blown away by how cool and sad that was, so I included it in my story but since it wasn't backed by Bethesda I introduced it as a rumor. As for Sinistral elves, I'm not sure. I play Skyrim, I've attempted to play Morrowind, and am part way through Oblivion, I don't feel sec** **ure enough in** **my lore to bring in elves that drowned long ago despite how interesting they are.**

 **SaintMichael95: Shame on you, have more restraint! ;)**

 **King Quinn The Last Heir: There might be war over religion if the church finds out about the portal, but that depends on what Biever has to say when they get back.**

* * *

 **Beta'd by evevee**

* * *

Dove all but cartwheeled around the forge, regaling her companions about the time she had accidentally made a dent in the anvil over here, or the day she had forged a pair of orcish boots only to put them on too quickly and nearly burn her toes. On and on she flitted around the work space, telling memories and slowly losing their interest.

Eorlund just stood in the same spot he had been in when they had arrived, like a stone or tree weathering the chaotic flow of wind his former student had become.

Surprisingly, one of the new girls had moved over to stand nearby and watch the chaos unfold.

"Hi," said the blue haired girl, "Tabitha."

The old man glanced at her and then returned to his smithing. "Eorlund Gray-mane," he replied just as shortly.

"Have you known Dove long?" Tabitha asked. Around them, Dove was showing Louise and Kirche a few of the things Eorlund had forged.

"Few years," Eorlund assumed from the cerulian's rather dull gaze that 'Dove' was Dægeseáge. He liked her new name, it suited her well and was much easier to write.

"How?" Tabitha queried.

"Delivered a sword for sharpening," Eorlund answered, "She had some skill."

"You taught her forging?"

"Hm," Eorlund sounded in confirmation.

"She's good," Tabitha said, thinking about some of the metal work she had seen at the house.

"How'd you meet?" The old man turned the long and detailed epic back on the small girl.

"She was summoned by Louise," Tabitha said, "Then tried to kill her. Ended up as a friend." She decided to leave the fact that they were lovers out of it for now.

"Hm," was Eorlund's response. Dægeseáge had a habit of making friends when lives were on the line, usually her own. She had joined the imperial legion after all, and they had tried to execute her for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, only for her to sign up with them days later.

"Not from around here, are you," Eorlund decided outloud, to which Tabitha shook her head.

"Another realm."

"Hm."

"-only place you can make Skyforge steel," Dove was ranting to an overwhelmed Louise and Kirche. "There is something about this forge that makes common steel so~ much better than any other steel forged anywhere else. Of course, the properties of this steel is then beaten out by other metals like ebony and daedric, but those are so rare and hard to find that you have to be an extremely dedicated explorer to get the ore and other forging requirements, which I am so-"

"She enjoys smithing," Eorlund said as the bar under his hammer started to flatten out into a sword.

"Hm," Tabitha tried out Eolunds own response and found that she liked it.

"Why come here?"

Tabitha looked over at the old man.

"You came to this realm with her for some reason, what is it?" Eorlund expanded on his question.

"I've never been in another realm before," Tabitha answered, "New experience and Dove's home realm."

"Hm." There was more to her reason than just that, Eorlund was certain.

"So, Mr. Gray-man," Kirche mispronounced his last name while escaping the excited Dove to join in the conversation with the two near silent people, "have you made things for the, Jaril? The guy who runs the city before?"

"Axe, helm, a few pieces of cutlery," Eorlund listed off easily. "Most of my work goes to the Companions."

"Oh," Kirche said, realizing that this person was one of those quiet people like Tabitha. "Why only them? Dove is still going on about your skill and the magic of the forge, so why not sell to others as well?"

Eorlund looked at Kirche, his eyes showing a hint of heat as he replied, "The Companions need the best, so they come to me."

"So it's about making sure that they're the best in the land?" Kirche followed the line of reasoning.

"Yes," the smith said. The sword in his hand was starting to look the part. Placing it aside to let it cool, he prepared to forge the tang next since that couldn't be done with the piece still cherry red.

"What makes them the best?" Kirche asked boldly. "I've only seen a rabble of uncouth men and women hitting each other until it stops being funny, and their sense of humor is grossly exaggerated." She was trying to get a reaction out of him since what she had seen in the hall was rather different that what she was saying.

Eorlund saw right through her though. "That they are," the old man agreed to Kirche's surprise, "They are like a pack of wolves, fighting amongst themselves for seniority. Don't let it fool you though, they can come together like any pack in time of need to crush any foe. That is what makes them great."

Kirche thought about that for a moment. Almost all the Nords she had met so far had shown a rather odd love of fighting. Calling them wolves was almost appropriate for them as a people. The ability to band together, though, was something a little different. She got the feeling that Nords were almost completely solitary people. "Are you part of the Companions?" she asked, wanting to know more about how inclusive they were.

"Who says I have to be?" he answered back, vaguely remembering when a certain young bosmer had asked him the same thing a long time ago. "I make the steel, just like my father and his father before him, right on back to when the first Grey-Manes came to Whiterun."

Tabitha, now watching the conversion, was surprised at how quickly Kirche was able to get the smith to talk and how much she was able to get him to say. She had thought he was like her who didn't talk about much of anything.

"Can we go meet the Jeril now?" Louise's desperate voice interrupted their conversation, causing them to glance at her.

The small pink mage was looking rather haggard as she tried to pull herself away from Dove's strong fingers. Dove was apparently done talking about things off the top of her head and had found a chest of metal memorabilia to show and discuss in depth about.

Kirche couldn't help but giggle when she saw that Louise was leaning away from the elf, almost horizontal, trying to drag her arm out of the Dragonborn's grasp. "A little stuck there, Louise?" she teased, trying to smother her laughs.

Louise shot her a look that she hoped would incinerate the redhead and dug her heels in a little deeper to try and escape.

"We should move on," Tabitha spoke up. She had enjoyed her talk with Mr. Gray-Mane, but had reached the limit of how much she was willing to talk to one person.

Dove blinked and seemed to center herself again. Looking down, she blinked again as she realized just how hard Louise was trying to get away. "Sorry," she apologized before letting go.

Louise staggered a bit as her arm was released before she righted herself and shot a glare at her familiar.

"So," she said straightening herself, "are we going to visit the 'Jeril' next?"

"The Jarl," Dove corrected before looking towards Eorlund before add out of politeness, "and we are, if there's nothing we can do to help you around here of course."

"No need," he replied, "I've got my work well in hand."

"Great. Then we can move on."

* * *

No. More.

Biever had finally outrun the party of bandits, Praise Brimir. Now, however, he was once again lost in this stupidly underpopulated world. Brimir, he missed cities like Romalia or Aquileia.

Talen wasn't as lost as his master, but even he had to acknowledge that they weren't going in the right direction. Making an executive decision, the smart animal settled down to think.

Biever remained standing as he walked in a slow circle to both stretch his muscles and take stock off where they were. It was early morning and he was tired enough to go back to bed, even if that bed was just on the ground somewhere.

Around them were foothills, rocky paths and natural towers of stone that seemed to be the start of the mountain he had finally gotten to the bottom of. Ahead the path widened and opened into a large plain that granted a breathtaking view of the land, and of a large town or small city.

Joy suffused the wayward priest as he saw what could only be the great Whiterun he had heard spoken of so often standing in the early morning light.

"Think we can get there by the end of the day Talen?" he looked over and questioned his familiar.

The dog lifted his noble head and fixed the man with a challenging look.

Biever chuckled as he took the look to mean that they could. "Great," he acknowledged, "Day's half gone, and those ruffians are nowhere in sight. Let's take a small break before getting a move on, aye?"

"Huff," Tallen snorted back, also in acknowledgment of his human's rather poor stamina.

Smiling, Biever strode as confidently as he could, only wobbling every fourth step, over to the nearest stone ledge to the path and sat down.

He immediately jumped up again as loud noise he had never heard before sounded nearby.

'TTTRRRRUUUUUUPPPHHH!'

Turning in place, he silently berated himself for being so stupid. In his haste to catch sight of Whiterun up ahead he had only looked into the distance, now he was stuck trying to identify what was nearby.

Fortunately, the answer to his question came around from behind a large rock to the right of the path.

The animal was enormous. The shaggy, four legged, creature was unlike anything the priest had ever seen before. Multiple long tusks jutted out of its mouth like someone had taken its teeth and stretched them out before flexing them around to point forwards like threatening, rune coated, spears.

What the otherworldly visitor didn't know was that he had stumbled upon a place known as Guldun Rock, a pleasant stop on the road for wandering Giants and their herds.

"What in the world?" Biever breathed. The giant creature in front of him was soon joined by another, and a third as the small pack (herd?) moved across the nearby field.

"WOOF!" Talen leapt to his feet. These things smelled funny, and new. It was a bit like a freshly milked cow smell combined with dog and some kind of hide rolled into one.

"Talen, Wait!" the tired and far too slow human yelled after his familiar. The dog didn't slow down. He wanted to get up close to the new thing, to run up and play with them since his human was just too slow.

Racing off the path, Talen sped towards the interesting things, heedless of the frantic human behind him.

Biever got up and jogged shakily after his familiar, trying to get him away from the strange animal. He could easily get hurt from even a casual step from the thing. Unfortunately, he was too slow and had only reached the edge of the path by the time his familiar was already amongst their legs.

Reaching his destination, Talen dove between the first large creatures legs before turning to run around the second one. His actions caused a bellow of fear and confusion to burst from it's long, snake like nose.

Raising his snout in the air, Talen barked and howled in excitement. These things were so much fun and they could be so loud! His fun completely ignored the frantic screams from the nearby human.

He didn't notice when those screams stopped.

Dodging to the side, Talen made another run through the now irritated animal's front legs and screeched to a halt when his eyes saw something new. There was a new human standing behind the new animal he had just annoyed.

'No,' he thought, 'not human.' The pale creature was far too large to be human. It was clothed in a hide and bones loin cloth and more hide foot wraps, over its shoulder was a large stick with a rock wedged into the top that it deftly held in one hand. It looked large enough to ride the creatures, and its feet were way too large and unwashed to be human.

"GGGGRRRMRMMMOOOOOVVVVVEE," The not human growled in a gutteral tone that sounded half like a voice and half like an avalanche.

Talen looked up and tilted his head to the side as he tried to figure out what he was.

Biever, on the other hand, was fairly certain just what thing his familiar was standing at the foot of. "Watch out for the bandit 'toll' road and the giant camp on the way." A mocking memory of what that woman back in the town had said didn't help his mood.

'Found the 'toll road' earlier,' the trembling priest thought as he tried to put his eyes back in his head, 'is this, the Giants?!' He didn't want to believe it, they couldn't be real. Giants were just stories, things that people made up to frighten children, most certainly not something that now stood right in front of him!

Despite his chosen profession being based in belief, Biever was someone who believed what he saw with his own two eyes over what someone told him. His calm reaction to ending up here in this Brimir-less world was because he had experienced it himself. His calm handling of that one bandit before the others had come for him was because of his faith in his own skills.

His panic over the flying ice snake was because it was a snake! FLYING SNAKE BRIMIR DAMN IT!

He could handle the new land without Brimir because it was all around him, he could see hear and touch it, while the talk of Giants was just talk. Now that there was a Giant standing right there in front of him, he could believe it.

Didn't mean he hadn't wet himself though as he remembered a certain fairy tail from his childhood. 'Was it Giants that made bread from bones or jelly from eyes? Are there Oges here too?' a small, child like voice in the back of his mind asked.

Slowly shimmying sideways, Biever tried to see where Talen was in the herd of animals. To his rising panic, Talen was standing right at the Giant's foot, now sniffing it in confusion.

"Talen~" Biever tried to quietly call out to his familiar, raising his hands and gesturing wildly to get his attention without drawing the Giant's at the same time.

Talen didn't notice, but the Giant's herd did. Bellowing at the human the Mammoths turned towards the human, presenting their strong tusks in defense of themselves and each other as they had grown wary to.

This in turn drew the Giant's gaze from the dog, to the human.

"Eh," Biever stuttered fearfully, "eh, um, hi?"

The Giant turned his entire body around and lifted the small tree trunk he wielded as a club in the air.

Biever didn't even wait for the Giant to let out it's own bellow to raise the dead, he was already running down the road towards the town. Behind him, Talen realized that his human was apparently rested enough to continue traveling and hopped over the strange not human's foot to chase after him.

THud THud THud

The sound of very heavy footsteps behind him caused Biever to pick up his already fast pace and pray he could out run something with a ten foot long stride.

* * *

Hours must have passed. His legs hurt, his feet hurt, his chest hurt, he was soaked to the bone and just wanted to lay down and die. Biever Sparhawk, Falman of the church of Brimir, was about ready to pass out from running. Talen, on the other hand, hadn't followed his human into the river and had instead raced along the side of it until he found a bridge.

He hadn't been able to outrun the Giant on flat ground but had been able to just barely escape by going over a large stand of rocks and forging a river. This left an angry Giant glaring after him on the shore and an excited Talen running around to find a bridge and meet back up with him.

Groaning, Biever slipped down so that he was resting on the side of the road and took stock of himself. His hands were scraped, there was a spot of blood on his left leg, the water had erased any evidence of him wetting himself thankfully, and there was a bruise on his calf from where he had thrown himself onto a rock that was hidden in the river.

All in all, he wasn't hurt too badly, he just wanted to lay down and die. However, Brimir must have had some mercy on him. His mad dash across the country side had ended with him standing within a stones throw of the walls of Whiterun.

Talk about convenient.

Twisting in place, the wet and bedraggled young man looked up at the wall and promised himself a nice long rest once he was within them. He needed to at least get inside before he collapsed or he might end up getting mugged by a one-horned one-eyed flying purple people eater with the way his luck was going.

Staggering across the low, grassy, hills in search of the road that must take him towards the front gate. "WOOF!" Just as what he was looking for came into sight, Talen apparently decided to catch up to him.

"Hey boy," Biever managed to say before the happy familiar threw himself on top of his sore human. Biever groaned tiredly as the heavy impact was enough to send his back to the ground with a moan.

"Ow, good to see you too," he muttered as Talen pranced around him. Something was certainly exciting the animal. "What is it?" Biever asked, painfully sitting up, "Something's gotten you riled up."

Jumping up and down in apparent acknowledgement, Talen raced back to the road and lowered his head before barking and ducking side to side in place.

"You have a scent?" Biever guessed, astonished at his luck. Talen jumped up and barked in an affirmation, "Is it fresh?" Biever asked, suddenly feeling the excitement himself. Talen barked again and ran a few paces down the road before turning on the spot and barking again.

"Well, then," Biever forced himself to stand. If his quarry was close he might be able to catch up before needing to rest, "let's get going." Maybe Brimir hadn't completely abandoned him.

-[]-

The fresh trail led the two down the road. The two soon found themselves leaving the plains behind and entering farm land. The closer they got to the walls of Whiterun the more farms there were.

The path slowing turned , arcing parallel but at a distance to the city wall. Sooner than expected, the path twisted sharply and led up an small switch back, inclining towards the front gate.

Arriving at the gate, Biever glanced down at Talen. Ignoring the odd looks he got from the guards, he spoke to Talen like he always did, "You sure Baroness Bosquet is in here?" Getting one more bark of confirmation, Biever pushed through the gate and into Whiterun.

* * *

"Wow," Kirche commented as she ascended the stairway to the Jarl's home. Dragonsreach was impressive, the flowing water around the stairs, the height and mix of stonework with woodwork, it was an impressive construction that left her in awe. Even more so when Dove informed them that it was built by hand and not magic. All large structures in Halkeginia were built by earth mages.

"Dragonsreach," Dove said while hiding a smile, "the only building in all of Skyrim to have hosted a captive dragon, twice."

"This building held a dragon?" Tabitha asked, intrigued.

"Yup," Dove said, "They even have the skull of the first one that was caught in the days of yore mounted on the wall. Which sounds less cool now that I think about it." There were some down sides to learning that she was technically a dragon, including the knowledge that that skull was technically her brother's.

"What happened to the second dragon?" Louise asked hoping to move to a different topic.

"Well," Dove smirked, "I think I mentioned it to Kirche a while back, before the fight in Tarbes, but I needed to catch up to Alduin after he ran away from our second fight. To do so I needed to catch a dragon to fly me after him. Master Paarthurnax told me the name of a rather hot blooded dragon who would answer a challenge if I shouted it at him."

"I then stalled the civil war," Dove deliberately paused to see their surprised reaction, "and shouted my challenge from here to draw Alduin's' own lieutenant into a trap."

As the group came to the top of the stairs, Louise frowned as she looked at the building. "This is made of wood," she commented. The wooden hall was jaw droppingly impressive, it had to have at least seven levels and two wings coming off the main tower, but still. "Apart from this small moat, shouldn't everything have burnt to the ground?" she asked.

"The part that contained the dragon is on the other side of the main tower," Dove said, confidently striding across the bridge between the stairs and the tower "That part is entirely made from stone."

"Ah," Louise said in understanding.

"Is that dragon still there?" Kirche asked. The dragons in Skyrim when Dove talked about them sound half like savage monsters and half like misunderstood philosophers like Paarthurnax. She wasn't sure what to think about one being kept under lock and key since both could be dangerous.

"No," Dove said, reaching the door, "I brokered a deal with him. I let him go and he let me ride him to where Alduin had flown off to. Actually, you're all met him before, his name is Odahviing."

Pulling on the door, Dove led the party into a hall like her home in Akatosh's realm.

* * *

"Excuse me." Adrianne Avenicci, the blacksmith daughter of the steward, looked upon a rather strange sight. An exhausted young man in mostly white and damp clothes, accompanied by a large dog, was smiling at her like he had lost a marble or two.

She had been working along, making a plow for the Battle-born farm, ensuring their supply of nails wouldn't run out, and creating weapons to sell to the wandering adventurers or residence when he had staggered across the bridge and made his way over to her.

"Can I help you?" she asked uncertainty.

"My name is Biever and I'm looking for a group of women who should have come this way recently. I noticed that your establishment is next to the gate and so wondered if you have seen any group like that come in?" the stranger introduced himself and presented his reason for interrupting her work.

"The only group I've seen come through is the Dragonborn and a couple of girls with weird colored hair," Adrianna said, glancing at the blade of the plow in her furnace.

"Weird colored hair?" Biever asked, "What colors?"

"I think one had pink hair," Adrianna said absently as the plow blade moved from straw colored to plum, "but the one I really remember was a girl with blue hair."

"That's great," Biever said before hurriedly continuing at her questioning look, "I'm looking for a woman named Baroness Dove Bosquet and she was last seen with a small group of girls, one had red hair, another pink, and the last had blue."

"That's them," Adrianna confirmed, "Whose this 'Baroness' person?" Skyrim didn't use the title of Baron or its female equivalent, it was only from talking to her father about the rest of the empire that she even knew what it meant.

"She's a native to this land," Biever said, trying to stabilize his legs, "She came to the Kingdom of Tristain almost a year ago and is teaching magic at the academy there." 'Why was he saying this?' a voice in his mind asked, but was brushed off by the tired fog that was growing to incompase his head.

"The only person I recognized in the group was the Dragonborn," Adrianna informed him, "I think she led the group up towards Dragonsreach and the Companions mead hall. They should still be up there. Good day." Turning back to her forge, Adrianna ended the conversation. She had run out of time for chatting, the plow was ready for hammering.

"Thank you for your time," Biever said with a smile that the smith only giving a grunt for acknowledgement sake.

Maintaining a smile, Biever set off towards the high ground.

Or at least he tried to, his legs apparently decided to stop working ten paces up the road.

* * *

 **Okay.**

 **I'm done writing tourism and set up. My party is in the same city now and adventure is knocking at the door.**

 **Next Chapter: A Black welcome.**


	71. A black welcome

**Skyrim is owned by a company, Familiar of Zero by a person in another land.**

 **I wonder if I can access the dimension where I own both?**

* * *

 **King Quinn The Last Heir: Great! I was trying to write him a little more understanding then the rest of the church.**

 **XSDStitch: Dismemberment is frowned upon in Whiterun. not as much as stealing a horse but still up there. I'm writing Beiver with at least half a brain, so there might be a lack of religious preaching.**

 **DragonSword35d: Or we get a verbal beating on a worn out priest. Hard to defend while nearly passed out. No throwing in jail yet, but once Biever takes a nap there will be a debate.**

 **Ronmr: Both Tabitha and Eorlund are quiet people, and I found myself enjoying myself when they tried to talk.**

 **TheENDstyler: What is it with everyone thinking Dove is a violent woman? She's a lover not a fighter! Unless it's a dragon, or someone takes her shinny things, or... Now that I think about it I can see why.**

 **Touhou is Life: I will be getting you a PM later, things have been a little busy here.**

 **Majahideen: there was a frost troll on the mountain, but that wasn't a fun fight since Biever hightailed it ASAP. I'll have to add one in at some point.**

 **Akshka: Not as much as you'd think.**

 **Sharkdude5: Thanks!**

 **Mathew5641: Action takes a moment to get ready. Part of Tabitha is intrigued by Skyrim, it forged Dove as she is. That would depend on them, the whole "Warrior, Mage, or Rogue" options seem to be more geared towards what their personalities are like and their birth, so since their not born I can't guess. Skyrim defenidently, there you only have to worry about the cold, dragons, bandits, trolls, etcetera.**

 **ForgottenGrimiore: Bandits in my version of Skyrim aren't going to chase you forever like they do in the game, there is a limit. That and I wanted to have Biever get up close to a Giant.**

 **Guest: I know that the Dragonborn runs into danger every other day, but he/she is often actively seeking it, the random traveler on the road isn't going to be attacked by anything more then a bandit if they stay on the road, or else Skyrim wouldn't be able to function. The ice wrath was on the throat of the world, Joining up might be a problem since Dove wants to fly them around.**

 **Me Myself and I: That would be funny, but I don't think I can work that in. Biever is too driven to get sidetracked to an inn, and there already was a 'night to remember' with Sanguine for Julio, having one for Biever would just be mean ;P. (Totally going to happen later) Sorry for the lack of feasting, Dove was feeling a little ill at the time ;).**

 **dreaddragonknight: I fan over blacksmithing, so does Dove.**

 **Carre: I liked Gate, I also hadn't seen a lot of it. I guess it's like gate a little, there is cross world/dimension travel after all. In Tristain... Someone is having kittens from anger, Pray for Dove when she returns. Ya know, I think you're one of the only people to not ask why I haven't killed, or maimed, him already.**

 **Rook115: To be fair, I know that I wouldn't pay much attention to someone telling me to watch out for the wendigo or something similar, I would just think it was a rather strange way of saying goodbye.**

 **Hell Fire: 'Madness? THIS IS SOOBA!' name the quote. :) Don't know why I thought of that.**

 **Chicwowwow: I thought that FOZ magic was very useful and could be used relatively easily, structured per se. While Skyrim seemed attached to the world around them, and the Divines/Daedrics, more raw and primordial. So in my opinion Skyrim is stronger (Stopping time, crossing realms etcetera) while FOZ can build buildings in an hour. I'm glad you find him funny, I hope he's smart enough to know when to shut up.**

 **Guest: Here it is.**

 **MasterXMaster: The term Falmen was directly from the anime sub I was watching, I found the same wiki page and decided to use the term interchangeably with Priest so those that didn't know what it was might understand what position he had.**

 **Phoenix Champion: I hope not, I was against the Brotherhood in my playthrough.**

 **Shinra Ren: NEVER! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME!**

* * *

 **Beta'd by evevee**

* * *

Far to the north, in a hold called the Pale, a hundred meters north of the town of Dawnstar, a dark door depicting a skull with a handprint upon the temple waited.

Within the door was a small stair that led to a raised platform overlooking a large room. The stone of the walls seemed to almost glow green from the low light and moss growing over the air holes. Banners of a black handprint on a red background were nailed into the mortar and a stained glass window of a skull faced creature watched those in the room.

On the raised platform a man in jester clothes hummed to himself as he pawed lovingly at a casket. Pausing in his humming, the man muttered, "Must oil Mother soon. Get all the hard to reach places."

"Uh? WHat? MOTHER SPEAKS!" A loud squawk suddenly erupted from above them. This usually happens once a week so no one paid it any attention.

Below, in the main room, stood three odd individuals: a redguard in red sitting at a small table, an old man in equally red and black clothes with closed eyes was sitting across from him, and a small girl paced around the stained glass window next to them.

"Cicero Has News!" The deranged shout from above caused the girl to stop pacing and the men to look up at the mad jester. "Cicero have newS~" Cicero repeated gaily, "Mother has spoken to good Cicero. YES, She has told him of where she is."

"The Dragonborn?" asked the Redguard, his face twisting into a sneer of hate, they had been waiting for a change to go after her. "Where?"

"Mother has said that Sithis himself gave her the location, not by the ritual," Cicero said excitedly.

"No one performed the black sacrament?" the old man asked, surprised. The black sacrament was how one normally reached out to the guild, Sithis wasn't the kind of being to just talk to someone on Nirn, not even his supposed wife, the Night Mother.

"Yes you idiot!" Cicero snapped angrily as he perceived a threat to his mother, "Sithis himself has given us a mission. And the Dragonborn, the killer of that bitch Astrid and Veezara, is a part of it."

"A part of it?" the child asked confused before stating haughty, "I thought we were going to kill her for what she did to our last hideout."

"NOPE!" Cicero shouted, "Sithis wants us to bring him the void user. Someone out there has called out to Sithis and he wants us to bring her to him, alive."

"We don't do alive," a voice from an archway leading into the room snarled. The man coming in was tall, a white haired Nord that despite his old appearance, radiated strength and fury. A fresh scar decorated his face from his left temple to his right cheek.

"You can get your fill of blood by killing her companions, Arnbjorn," Cicero sighed iratedly to the widower, "the Dragonborn herself accompanies the girl Sithis wants taken."

That brought an evil smirk to his face. "Where?" he asked.

"They will be going to the college of Winterhold soon," Cicero says happily, "Sithis says they're going to the college and that we're going to take the girl then!"

"What girl? You need to explain a little clearer," the old man said tiredly.

Cicero sighed, sometimes he hated have other people in the blackhand, none of them were in tune with his mother and Sithis.

"Mother says that someone has caught the attention of Sithis," Cicero explained as patiently as an unstable person could, "So we're going to get her. It just so happens that the Dragonborn is with her, and hence, in our way." A grin with too many teeth spread across his face, "We can stab stab stab stab stab her as much as we want, so long as we also bring the girl back with us."

"That doesn't sound too bad to me," the child said as an image of the Dragonborns torn and bloody body appeared in her mind. "How 'bout I bite this target and make her a thrall?" It would make this kidnapping job much easier.

"Sithis wants her unspoiled," Cicero grumbled, looking at the ground and drawing random patterns in the stone with the toe of his boot, looking for all the world like an upset child. "Don't worry though," he said looking up and smiling, "we have time to plan."

"Great," the Nord werewolf growled striding further into the room and sitting down at a free chair, "Just one thing though Cicero, before we begin."

"Yes?" Cicero queried.

"If you ever call my wife a bitch again, I will kill you."

* * *

'Just a little bit further,' Biever thought miserably as he slumped on the ground. He was slouching, nearly laying, in the shadow of a raised portion of the street. It was his only option to take advantage of the most amount of shade he could before trying to summon the strength to push forwards.

Why did the girls he was looking for have to go to the top of a hill? Biever was certain that there were plenty of things to do around here at the bottom where he didn't have to climb any hills to get to them.

People passed him by on the road, some ignoring him completely while others would glance at him and move on, muttering about 'newby can't handle the drink'.

Talen, though, attracted several gazes and even a few attempts to pet him from the occasional passerby. He, however, wasn't all that thrilled by the attention when his human was laid out like this and chose to growl at them to keep them moving along, out of his line of sight while he stood guard.

"Sir, are you alright?"

Biever looked up at the voice who asked him the, in his opinion, rather stupid question. "I'm just," he groaned, "tired. Ran into a Giant, on the, way here. Had to run for it and, then swim a river."

The man talking to the collapse Falman was one of the many guards who made a living in Whiterun after his adventuring days had been ended by a damned forsworn arrow.

His usual duties were to keep the peace and stop the occasional fight from breaking out, but he also found the time on his rounds to just help the people in need. Often all they needed was just to get off the street and to the Bannered mare where they could at least find a warm spot to rest.

It had become a welcome habit for him and was why he had stopped to look into helping the stranger here.

"Well," Guardsman Nansen said, reaching a hand down, "I'm sure it'll make a great tale to tell later. For now, let's get you to the tavern, I'm sure a bowl of whatever soup they're serving won't go amiss."

Biever looked at the hand for a moment before sighing and taking it. "Thank you," the Falman said as he rose, before grimacing and pulling away a bit to stand on his own, "but can you help me get up the hill instead? I'm looking for someone and the blacksmith at the gate said she went towards Dragonsreach or the Companions hall."

"I just came from that way," Nansen said thoughtfully, "There weren't any strangers around that I saw. The dragonborn was in though, hopefully her presence won't lead to another dragon deciding to attack."

"I had heard the blacksmith at the gate calling the woman I'm looking for 'the dragonborn'. Perhaps you could take me to her?" Biever suggested helpfully.

"...You're not doing anything that might bring an army, or possibly dragons, down upon us by chance?" Nansen asked, suddenly feeling the need to be safe. Some people in strange white masks had come through a few months back looking for the Dragonborn. That had apparently ended with some kind of disturbance on Solstheim.

"No," Biever said, his voice honest and confused.

"Just making sure."

* * *

"And that's how this hall gained this legendary skull to adorn it's walls." Balgruuf the Greater spoke in a proud voice and gestured above his head towards the object of his story as he told the tale of Olaf one-eye and his accomplishment in defeating the dragon of old.

"He also had a large moustache and hinted that that tale might be overly embellished," Dove whispered to Tabitha as the girls listened in awe.

Dove had led the group into the hall and greeted Jarl Balgruuf politely while the girls stared looking around the room at the obvious similarities it shared with the one Dove had shown them between worlds.

"So, you're back," Balgruuf stated gruffly before smiling, "What's gone wrong now? Need my dragon trap again by chance?"

"No," Dove sighed getting tired of the joke, "Seriously Balgruuf, is my coming and going now taken as a sign of doom and gloom now a days? You're probably the third or fourth person to ask me that, or something similar."

Balgruuf looked mock thoughtful for a moment before answering. "Yes."

"... Damn."

"Well," Balgruuf continued quickly as the woman's face became overcast, "It's more like every time you leave for a long period of time it's always because you found some quest or encountered a new danger to the realm, that sometimes follows you around for a while afterwards. Nothing you do per se causes issues."

"And that suddenly makes me feel a whole lot better," Dove's voice was dry as sand in Hammerfell.

"Hello," Kirche said, deliberately breaking into the now awkward and embarrassed atmosphere. "You are Jarl Balgruuf the Greater right?" She asked, her tone like milk and honey, "Dove has told us a lot about you and this remarkable place you call home. Is it true that you really have a trap large enough for a fully grown dragon?"

"I am pleased to see someone so interested in my hall," Balgruuf responded happily before gesturing to his left, "There is fact a trap designed for dragons up those very stairs-"

-[]-

From there, Balgruuf started telling the tale of Olaf one-eye and how he trapped a dragon in what would later be called Dragonsreach and then moved on to becoming the High king of Skyrim. The girls had listened with interest, Louise and Kirche sitting in chairs pulled from the nearby table while Tabitha and Dove shared a spot on the small flight of stairs leading to Balgruuf's throne.

Dove had promptly enjoyed picking apart the grand tale and whispering what things she had learned about the grand hero of old in Sovngarde, leading back to where the Jarl had been wrapping up his story.

"While that was an interesting story, my lord," a new voice drew the group's attention to a man in fine light blue clothes. His head was losing hair and had a thin moustache, but somehow it worked with the rest of his face, made him look almost more dignified and smart. The two handed sword on his back offsetting his scholarly look a bit. "I think you should leave the story telling to me, it is part of my job after all," he said.

Accompanying the man was a sharp looking Dunmer with red hair in leather armor identical to the kind Dove was wearing and a stern look to her face, body, eyes, just about everything about her radiated stern. A tattoo coming off the corner of her right eye only added to the 'hawk-ish' look.

"Irileth, Proventus," Balgruuf greeted warmly.

"My Jarl," the man and woman said in almost perfect sync.

Kirche found herself looking at the elf's hair as the two moved from the side door they had entered by towards them. There had been a distinct lack of colored hair so she was surprised to find someone with nearly her own shade of red.

Irileth, on the other hand, only spared a calculating look across the group as she approached before fixing her gaze on the dragonborn. "Good to see you again, Dragonborn," she said calmly, "Please don't tell us that you've drawn too much unwanted attention to our city."

A dark cloud suddenly appeared over Dove's head as she wallowed in her unwelcome misery. "Nobody loves me," she whined dramatically to which Tabitha rubbed her back comfortingly.

"It is good to see you again," Proventus Avenicci stated soothingly to the despondent elf, "Where have you been this time? I quite enjoy hearing about your latest adventure."

"Got summoned to a new realm," Dove sighed before smiling and stretching her arms out to indicate Louise, Kirche, and Tabitha, "Brought some visitors with me."

"And you're certain that no one else followed you?" Irileth asked, "Because I still remember that dragon."

"It wasn't like I wanted it to follow me," Dove's voice was the very definition of exasperated, "How many times do I have to say it: I'm sorry that dragon followed me here, I didn't see it because it was so high up. Let it go."

"Besides, I came back to Nirn through a portal that passes through Akatosh's own realm, odds are he won't let anything dangerous through and on top of that the portal is hidden in a cave. No one followed me."

Somewhere in the multiverse, the gods of timing sneezed.

"Excuse me, my lord."

A guard stood at the far end of the room, almost hanging off of his shoulder was a young man in stained white clothes. "I found this man in Wind District. He said he was looking for the dragonborn."

* * *

Biever decided that he hated stairs and people who loved them. Who in their right mind needed a set of them on top of a hill before crossing a bridge and going up another flight of them?

A Flight of steps to reach a building, a flight of steps to go from one part of a town to the next, thinking back he also added the bad memories from getting down a freaking mountain to the list of ridiculous places to have steps.

Thankfully, Guardsman Nansen was their to help him over the last leg of the journey. Either way, he was so tired that it took him about thirty seconds to take in the scene in front of him. Three girls obviously from the Tristain academy, a blond man with a circle of gold and gems around his head, a balding man with a sword, and two elves in leather armor, all sitting around chatting without a care.

Biever's mind helpfully added that there were three girls who had accompanied the Baroness, these girls must be them. 'But then where is the Baroness?' he thought with a weak tilt to his head.

Fortunately for his tired mind, Talen was able to find her with ease by picking out her scent.

Charging forwards, the excited dog sprinted around the surprised men, across the room, leaping the last five paces through the air and onto the chest of the elf seated next to a blue haired girl.

"Wha-?" was all Dove got out before the furry bullet hit her.

Biever raised an eyebrow. Why was Talen so familiar with an elf? Then a synapse somewhere sparked and a chilling thought was formed. Had the academy of Magic playing host to an elf all this time? It made sense in an upside down kind of way.

"You alright Dove?" Kirche asked as the woman in question flailed about for a moment, trying to push the dog that had surprised her off.

"Fine," Dove grunted as she tried to breathe, "Just, grab him."

There was no doubt in Biever's mind now. The Dragonborn, Dægeseáge Nightvale, Baroness Dove De La Bosquet, was an elf from another world.

"You're an elf!?" The Falman blurted out.

"Maybe," Dove said glumly as she finally got a good hold on Talen's neck fur and pulled the dog off. "Or maybe I didn't eat my greens and so my ears grew in punishment," she added just to be difficult. Why is there a member of the church of Brimir here? Internally Dove was beating her head on a mental wall, her day suddenly seemed darker somehow.

"All this way to talk to an elf. Brimir's left foot," Now the Falman was whining.

"Is there something wrong with 'elves'?" Irileth asked pointedly. She had had to prove her worth to a few of the simpler members of Whiterun's guard soon after she was appointed housecarl to the Jarl, she knew the tone they took.

Louise decided to clarify. "Where we're from, elves are considered monsters because they killed the founder of our religion," She frowned, she didn't even want to think about it, her faith was slipping.

"Some human apparently 'created' magic a long time ago, making him a god," Dove added breaking out of her depresion, "and then fell to the common weakness of all gods: getting poked really hard with a lump of steel. Not too impressive for someone supposedly of godhood don't you think?"

Biever felt anger rise in his gut at the elf's crass words. She somehow became a noble woman of Tristain, she shouldn't talk like that.

Seeing the expression rising on his face, Dove quickly continued. "I take it that you haven't stopped and studied the local religions, right?" she asked.

Biever's irritated but blank stare was answer enough.

"In Skyrim, and most of the rest of the Empire for that matter," Dove spoke despite the lack of response, "We worship the Nine Divines and the seventeen Daedric Princes, to greater and lesser degrees depending on our faith and the favors granted by our worship."

Dove stood, letting her hand rest on Talen's head as she emphasised, "Favors granted by our worship. When we worship, it is possible to gain powers beyond the norm even for the most powerful. We speak, see, and feel the presence of our Divines and Daedrics. What physical evidence do you have that Brimir was anything more than just a random mage long ago?"

Dove's eye seemed to burn with the dragon fire of her soul. All of her careful tip toeing around the topic of religion was gone, this was her realm, her gods! No one was going to report her to the church for her beliefs in this land so come what may.

Part of her regretted her strong words almost immediately after she had said them, worried about what this one Falmen was going to do either now or when they got back to Tristain, but a much larger part was unbelievably happy, or vindictive, to be able to say this to his face.

Biever kept on glaring, but in his mind his thoughts were turning over all that he had seen. Coming to another world wasn't something Brimir was said to have done as far as he, a lowly Falmen, knew, yet here he was.

"To get here you must have come through my portal," Dove continued pushing her logic. "That means you must have crossed through Akatosh's realm. Do you by chance remember crossing through a world that had a rather golden colored sky? And a large blond man or golden dragon in it?"

Biever vaguely remember both. His faith felt wounded by the mental admittance.

"You can keep believing in Brimir," Dove then added an easy way out for him. "Just don't expect the people of this land to care if you try to preach to us and don't even think of discriminating anyone because of what your church thinks."

While continuing to glare, a new thought crossed Biever's mind. 'Bosquet lived in the academy for months. Did she resign herself to a similar situation?' It was rather odd finding the situation reversed. "I think I might be able to live with that," he bit out. 'This needs to be examined first,' he thought warily, 'no rushing in.'

"Great," Dove chirped in an overly happy voice. That was one thing off her newly created list of things to talk to Biever about, next up was to address her race and find a to convince him not to reveal her species to the rest of the academy by the time they got back.

* * *

"So, are we all in agreement?" Arnbjorn asked the other surviving brotherhood members.

Babette, Nazir, Festus, Nazir, and Cicero nodded, some more eagerly then others. The plan would work, they had spent hours detailing everything that would be needed, now all they needed to do was set up.

"Yes yes," the jester said annoyingly, "Step one: you and the vampire distract the Dragonborn while the Redguard snatches the girl using Wrinkle's here's potion to knock her out. Step two: Once that's done the Redguard will take the girl back here while we wait in that old companions tomb. This is all a fairly simple act for people like us but then you have to make it more complicated by adding in step three: running away from the fight to lead her to where we secured the void user."

The werewolf growled angrily. "We won't run away. We just need to distract her long enough for Nazir to take the girl and get the Dragonborn's attention," he snapped angrily. Cicero was right in one respect, they didn't really need to get her attention, they were all skilled enough to disappear completely once they had the girl, but vengeance would not be ignored.

"It doesn't matter too much to me if you get to kill the Dragonborn," Cicero drawled before snapping back, "but you're endangering mother's orders. Orders from Sithis! FOR VENGEANCE!"

"Sithis can burn for all I care," Arnbjorn said with cold fury, "We're killers, the greatest of assassins and warriors in the land, knives in the dark that were never caught, and then we lost our home and leader to that bitch. Now we're handed a job that's a cake walk with a side of revenge. We are taking it for all it's worth."

The others sitting around the table were nodding in agreement. Looking around the room, Cicero sighed before giving in.

"So long as mother's orders are obeyed… Cicero sees no reason not to have a little fun on the side~. But no messing up the snatching! If you have to leave the Dragonborn alone to obey Sithis then you will do so without complaining! GOT IT!" He finished in a deranged shout.

"Fine with the rest of us," Nazir said, speaking for everyone who was tired of hearing Cicero and Arnbjorn fight.

Once settled on a plan, the Dark Brotherhood went over supplies. "Who has their arms?" Arnbjorn asked. When they had escaped the Dragonborns' rampage they had only done so with the clothes and weapons on their backs.

"I have the ingredients for the potion you require," Festus Krex informed the rest, he had snatched a small satchel of rare potion ingredients while escaping and had been able to collect on the run to their new hideout.

"I don't need anything," Babette said proudly as her vampire nature required nothing more then the blood of mortals and was her main method of attack.

Nazir on the other hand had lost his scimitar in the attack and had unhappily defaulted to being their main archer. Arnbjorn had also lost his iron battleaxe of chills to the Dragonborn's disarm shout but still had his werewolf form to fall back on.

Lastly, Cicero had his knives. Thankfully the hideout had been stocked with basic supplies like food, poisons, and knives. Altogether, it was a very underwhelming stash of supplies compared to what they used to have in Falkreath.

But would have to do.

"Last thing," Arnbjorn said, turning to address Cicero once they were sure they had enough resources to carry their plan out, "We know that the Dragonborn and our target is coming to Winterhold. What timeframe do we have to set this all up?"

"They will be there tomorrow at the latest," Cicero stated, "and might stay around for two days."

"Two days?" Babette asked. "It'll take half a day for us just to get there, more for old Festus, let alone set up."

"Then we just have to be fast," Cicero said calmly.

Arnbjorn growled deep in his throat. Cicero dumping this on them was getting on his nerves, too much needed to be do too quickly. Revenge must happen and this was the best opportunity, but still.

"I'll travel to Winterhold and set up what I can," he decided, "The rest of you will follow with Festus. Meet me at the Frozen Hearth."

Nazir nodded gravely. "We'll have to hurry," he verbalised his thoughts, "but I think we can make it about a day behind you. That should give us enough time to finish setting up whatever you've got started." Babette, Festus and Cicero nodded in agreement

"Good," Arnbjorn said standing up, "I'll see all of you later then."

* * *

 **Why does everyone want Biever to die?**

 **The majority of reviews wanted the** **poor guy to get horribly mutilated or imprisoned.**

 **Thankfully, Dove might soon be a bit to busy to focus only on him.**


	72. Without fast travel :(

**Skyrim and Familiar of Zero are owned by someone else.**

* * *

 **VGBlackwing: Astrid didn't recruit Dove at all, my story follows the 'destroy the black brotherhood' quest line with my own twists.**

 **Touhou is Life: The Crusades would last an hour at best since they would have to get through Dove's portal (Akatosh's realm) first.**

 **HazardousRecon: I honestly didn't want to add the DarkBrotherhood simply because it would increase time spent in Skyrim. I really want to get to the war in Albion, but then I got a review that sparked my interest in the Dark Brotherhood all over again and had to add it.**

 **JosephLeeCollins: I don't want anything physically bad to happen to Biever either but I also don't think that he'd survive meeting a Daedra at this time and the Aedra wouldn't bother with someone so insignificant person to them. The church says Brimir is a god so that's what Biever believes, I'll just have to use mortal magicka to convince him otherwise.**

 **Cyclinity: Note to self: make more frightening titles ;). Lots and lots of wandering in this chapter I'm afraid, kind of like the actual game.**

 **Mathew5641: Biever is like rubber, he'll bounce off the walls screaming for the eggnog to stop singing if Dove also reveals that she's a dragon :). I don't know your favorite was Nansen, I personally like Aalik best ;P. "He whom we call Sithis has many other names. Chaos. Doom. Discord. Sithis is the _Void._ -Lucien Lachance**

 **RedBurningDragon: Biever's adventure through Skyrim, and its faith, is going to be a rocky one. Not helped at all by the fact that the assassination group that Dove killed the majority of is gunning for her.**

 **JDS62: I don't think that Biever is understanding just yet, my goal was to write him as flexible and willing to listen so I'm glad that got through.**

 **DragonSword35d: I was thinking that being tired didn't make Biever agreeable, just that he needed to find her for** _church_ **reasons then finding that she's an elf threw him off since the church's view on elves is well known, the exhaustion was an excuse to sit and think. No one but Louise, Tabitha, Kirche and now Biever knows she's an elf.** **I honestly didn't think of long term consequences when I gave Dove a title I put myself in Henrietta's heels (they hurt by the way;P) and did what I thought would give Dove some authority while she does a task for the crown (Fairy inn). Next I'll have to put her shoes on again and try to think a way out of the scenario you're pointing out.**

 **Phoenix Champion: But would she use it in front of Biever?**

 **Rook115: Now I just need to get (a few) of them to not want him dead in the next two minutes... How about throwing a million good guy cliches at him :) That works in every movie that exists ;P. Thank you for the complement.**

 **pedrofaria339: I hate to break it to ya, but the church in Familiar of Zero is already doing something stupid. ;)**

 **TheENDstyler: The first time I played through I got stomped by a random guy on the road in brotherhood garb so I take them seriously, but I agree that their notes were annoying the third time I got them.**

 **MadMadMaud: Thanks, I'm glad some like him.**

 **Hell Fire: Looking for group, I was quoting a comic that was quoting 300. I don't fully understand the nine divines (got lost in who created who), and I feels awkward trying to write them plus the FOZ church to me doesn't really feel like a church, more like a nock-off. Stereotypical catholic church in medieval times only worshiping witches instead of burning them. It just hurt to write about either. :(**

 **brimir: Well, the wiki on the church says it was founded by a disciple of Brimir and not him, so I guess you're right, he was a figure head for political/religious reasons.**

 **Aline1: Thank you for the information. I don't have the latest light novels, reading translations online is missing something that made the stories come alive to me, so thank you again.**

 **dreaddragonknight: To start the 'destroy the black brotherhood' quest line: when Astrid tells you to kill one of the kneeling people, turn around and kill her instead. The quests then automatically gets added to your quests.**

 **Carre: They both will, the question is: who will have more? Biever doesn't want to loose Dove now that he found her and Dove doesn't want him running around without supervision/ needs to find a way to stop him from telling anyone about her ears.**

 **XSDStitch: I added my own twists to the quest.**

 **ranma hibiki: Thanks for your view on Biever haters.**

 **Swordalfgun: When I read your name I get Sword-(gan)dalf-gun (fun visuals). I don't think that halk elves should be dwemer, I've had some say they could be left handed elves from elder scrolls instead.**

 **kimiko 4: I was thinking on the way out of Skyrim. You can fav and follow to get email notifications you know.**

 **Rios: I can't either, their meeting is one of the biggest reasons why I want to rush through Skyrim and get to the war.**

 **MarkedPariah: Thanks for the repeated reviews. I know that Derf isn't in the story as much, I'm having Louise training with him and carrying him around but he keeps slipping my mind for some reason.**

* * *

 **Beta'd by evevee**

* * *

Biever glared at Baroness- the el... Dove. It was kind of hard for him to decide what to call her now that he knew, so he decided to just stick to her name. After the tense confrontation between Dove and himself, the Jarl had called for some refreshments and put a hold on talking until the Falman was fully rested. He was very thankful for that as his body was now able to recover.

On the other hand, it left him staring at the woman he was supposed to be asking for help on how to kill the elves under the academy in the most effective way. This uncomfortable atmosphere continued for the entire 'meal', even if it was a short one.

Dove, however, was either unaware of the glare being sent her way or a very good actor. Instead, her focus was on the Nord mead she was nursing. It didn't taste right to her. The minty drink was one of her favorites but now, she wanted something else a little more.

"Excuse me," she asked one of the servers, "Can I have some water? And maybe a sweet roll?" Sweet rolls sounded heavenly right now. The server nodded and quickly disappeared through a side door.

'She was human,' a part of Biever noted, 'yet she obeyed an elf. What is it about that woman that ingratiates her to so many? Or is it a racial trait?' He had no idea what strange powers elves had in this world. Come to think of it, he didn't really know what powers elves in his own world had apart from 'not church' magic.

"So," Louise started talking to him, "What's happened back in Tristain? If you don't mind me asking."

"I've been here about a day," Biever answered carefully, "about the same amount of time as you have, so I don't think we've missed much."

"Oh," Louise said a little disheartened. She couldn't think of anything else to talk about that wasn't related to more uncomfortable topics.

"I, for one, am more concerned about what the others will say when we get back to the academy," Kirche stated, jumping in and talking in a bubbly and distracting tone. "I mean, I got this beautiful earring and we're still going to visit Solitude, which has even more shops. I think I can have myself completely decked out in gold and jewels before too long."

"That is nice," Dove replied, smirking as her sweet roll was handed to her. "Thank you. I however, can 'completely deck' myself out with jewels just by visiting my basement."

"That's cheating," Kirche moaned, holding her cup and throwing her head around in a dramatic fashion. "I mean by finding the best deals at the shops and throughout the market place."

"I can beat you there as well," Dove gloated with a smile, "I happen to be on good terms with most every shop owner. I sell my loot and creations to them, after all."

The redhead young woman glared good naturedly before returning to her own drink. Dove's victorious chuckle and allusion to wealth brought a question to the priest.

"Why do you follow her?" he asked, turning to the one person that, based on her rather silent behavior, he assumed was the most uncomfortable in her presence. He needed answers and asking was always the best way to answer them.

"Because she's good," Tabitha answered easily. That wasn't the entire truth, she followed Dove at first because she recognized her skills and danger, and later because she had come to like and even love her. 'And because she moved her hips just right that night,' a very small, reminiscing voice in her head added causing a phantom twinge of pleasure to crawl up her spine.

Biever looked at the young woman in surprise, she was blushing. 'Why would she be blushing?' he pondered. 'Great,' he then thought, 'more questions to answer.' He needed to be more direct.

"What about the elf made you want to follow her? What makes her 'good'?" he asked intently.

Tabitha frowned as she started to talk, leaving out things like Sylphid's ability to talk as well as her feelings. "I was suspicious of her in the beginning. I felt that something was off about her when she showed up, but I trusted her since she was a cook. If she wanted to kill use then she could have a long time ago." That was... probably the longest thing she's said in years.

That caused Biever to pause. He had forgotten that her first job was assistant cook, she could have killed the entire school long ago. Why hadn't she done so?

"I concluded that she must not be 'evil', so she must be at least 'neutral', as well as skilled," Tabitha finished up, her throat was starting to feel sore but she was more than happy if it stopped him from bringing Dove to the attention of the church afterwards.

"I see," Biever said noncommittally.

-[]-

Louise finished her drink. Mint and honey that left her feeling warm, it was incredible.

"Hey, girls?" She was unfortunately pulled out of her enjoyment by Dove's voice. Turning, she let a small glare grace her face, annoyed at the interruption.

"Sorry," Dove quickly apologized. She had seen that expression often enough. "Are you guys ready to go? We should be going as soon as possible."

Louise glanced into her cup, only to remember that it was empty. "Fine," she responded reluctantly.

"Ready," Tabitha said.

"Just about," Kirche answered, eying the sweet roll Dove was finishing.

"Okay," Dove replied before turning to look at the mammoth in the room. "I would recommend that you stay here Mr... you know, I don't think I learned your name."

"It's Biever Sparhawk. You can call me Falmen Sparhawk," Biever said stiffly.

"Thanks Beaver," Dove said, resolutely mispronouncing his name. "Like I said," she continued, ignoring the renewed glare he sent her way, "I would recommend you stay here since you're so tired. It must have been so hard for you to travel here by yourself after all, so you should rest here and not slow the rest of us down."

Dove's gaze was cool, aloof even, but it didn't move an inch from his face as she spoke. The others from Tristain looked at her in surprise while those from Skyrim carefully avoided looking at the two, it had nothing to do with them after all.

Biever, on the other hand, got angrier and angrier as the elf kept running her mouth. "And yet," he added, "you are going to let these three girls go with you wherever you're going."

"They've proven that they can handle themselves and didn't nearly pass out from a short trip down a mountain," Dove said, conveniently ignoring that she had flown them on the long journey between said mountain and here.

Biever's frown deepened. "I can keep up with anything they can do," he said hotly.

'Anything you can do,' Dove thought with a snicker before saying out loud, "Really? Can you keep secrets?"

Biever gave her a flat look at the obvious ploy.

"Well, can you at least keep quiet until we get back to Tristain?" Dove asked, going for her real objective. "I don't want to be chased out of a village or two because you can't keep quiet about your church's views on the average person."

Biever was quiet for a minute or two as he thought about that. It wouldn't be in his interests to be separated from the elf. If she suddenly decided to return to Tristain then he wanted to be the first to know about it.

He frowned after coming to a decision and, sensing how important this decision was to Dove, he decided to let the silence remain long after he had come to a decision. It might be petty to drag the silence out but it gave him time to examine her expression for clues. That didn't help as Dove remained outwardly calm and collected as she waited for a response.

"I believe that I can do that," Biever said after letting the silence stretch to an almost uncomfortable level. The elf's unflappable lack of any reaction was rather surprising compared to everything he had heard regarding her.

Everything he had come to hear about her from those that worked with her had described her as dedicated and cheerful but rather open with her emotions, yet her ability to remain quiet throughout his silence made him question just how many had seen the 'real' Dove in public setting.

Letting a smile grace her face, Dove just said, "Good." 'A step in the right direction,' she mentally added.

* * *

It was just after noon when the party started on the road, Dove leading the way back out of Dragonsreach and towards the road leading north.

Once back on the road the girls had entered by, Dove started off at a quick walk that had everyone hurrying to keep up. She walked in front, eyes scanning the horizon for possible threats, while Louise, Biever, Kirche, and finally Tabitha followed behind in that order. Talen raced around them, care free.

The road was quiet for a time. In the distance, a herd of mammoths grazed peacefully while their giant escorts watched them warily. The plains around them were also quiet, with only a low breeze disturbing them. It was as if the world was taking in a deep breath, up until Biever traced the path they were taking.

"Are we really going to be going up those mountains?"

Dove glanced over her shoulder a nodded. "Yup. What's the matter? Too tired? Should I carry you like a princess?" She teased, but the underlying challenge was unmistakable.

The other girls looked at the Priest quietly, almost seeming to be judging him with their silence, as he spluttered for a response. "No," Biever finally said unhappily. If he became king, the first thing he would outlaw was stairs, and inclined planes.

"Alright, don't worry, it's just a small pass," Dove reassured him, "Though we will have to run through a portion of it, thankfully on the downhill side."

"Run through a portion of it?" Louise asked confused, "Why would we have to run through a mountain pass?"

"An old city called 'Bromjunaar' was built in the pass by a cult worshiping dragons. The ruins fell into disrepair years later and now all sorts of dangerous animals have found it the perfect place to live."

Dove was deliberately downplaying the threat of the now known Labyrinthian, but frightening them now wouldn't help her and it was the quickest way to get to Winterhold now that she couldn't fly without revealing that ability to Biever.

"It sounds dangerous," Kirche commented worriedly.

"Not really," Dove reassured her, "It's only a bit more dangerous than what we're doing right now, walking on the road."

"I ran into giants, flying ice snakes, and bandits on my way into town," Biever quipped glaring at the stone by his feet, "I think that 'walking on the road', is one of the most dangerous things you can do in Skyrim."

"Oh Pshaw~" Dove refuted, "Only if you're not quick enough. If we keep moving then the odds of us getting attacked go down remarkably, more so the faster we leg it."

"What does it say about a land if they can't even keep their roads clear of danger?" Biever asked rhetorically.

"That it's a million times more interesting than one that does," Dove answered back in a sing song voice.

* * *

The party moved on through the day, the sun started going down as the group started ascending. On the way, Dove pointed out a few interesting things here and there. Just some stuff she had come across on her travels and enjoyed.

A spot where a pool of hot water and steam burst from the ground for some reason, and the large crabs that inhabited the area were some of her favorites. Louise unfortunately couldn't say the same, one of those crabs almost took off one of her fingers when she put a hand in the water.

Dove was no help as she was too busy laughing her rear off.

Before too long, however, they had reached the start of the narrow, winding, path through the mountains. "Ready to go up?" Dove asked, despite her rude words she didn't want the Priest to get left behind here.

"Ya," Biever acknowledged with a grim glare of hate at the upward going path.

Dove nodded, pleased with his determination to keep going. "By the way," the elf added an afterthought, "We should be alright, but something to remember, there is a dragon that often roosts on top of one of the mountain to the left of us. There is an almost nonexistent chance that it could spot us but I felt that you guys should know."

Two of the girls, and Biever suddenly found themselves shivering with nerves.

"Great," Tabitha surprised everyone by saying. At the other's looks she added a miniscule amount of elaboration, "Dragons don't like competition."

Dove nodded sagely as if she understood what that meant.

-[]-

Plodding along the path, Biever was sure that he was going to die. The break back in town had helped him immensely but he still felt like he was leaving a bit of his legs and feet behind with each step forwards.

"Well, we've passed the hard part," Dove commented happily.

They had crossed over from one side to the other, at least technically. They had come to the highest part of the mountain pass, and could now look down towards the entrance of the Labyrinthian.

Sparse trees seemed to form a border between the top of the mountain path and the front of the old city. As if to highlight the difference, there was also a bank of snow right at the base the trees that contrasted with the dark grey stone of the mountain and the arch up ahead.

The 'narrow' path had narrowed even further, at best only ten people could walk side by side. There were also two large, bisected triangular arches decorated with stone dragons before the entrance. Behind them was an old stone wall with a small gate that at best three could walk through.

"That... doesn't look intimidating," Louise commented, looking at the wall. Dove shook her head, a stiff breeze was coming up from the path and blew a swarm of snowflakes from the ground up and around them. Cold and lifeless were the two best words to describe what they were seeing.

"It doesn't look that bad in the sunlight," she defended. It was getting towards late afternoon and the clouds had covered the sun.

"Really?" Biever asked sceptically.

"Yes," Dove said hotly, "Come on, this is the part where we need to run."

'No arguments here,' Biever thought as he eyed the foreboding gate, the quicker they put that behind him the better.

Snorting in indignation, Dove started crunching through the dusting of snow at a light jog. Behind her, a trio of groans and the sound of feet picking up followed.

Coming through the old gate was somehow refreshing to Dove, like stepping into her house had been. The cold wind, the smell of dust and decay, and the faint growl of a frost troll spotting her from one of the broken old buildings to her upper right all brought a wave of nostalgia.

"MOVE!" She called urgently as that last thought reached her conscious brain. Picking up the pace herself, she soon had pulled a bit ahead of the others.

Catching the sound as well, Biever's head swivelled around and his jaw dropped. "NO," he yelled, "Not again! How did it follow me?!"

"You've run into a troll before?" Dove asked.

"Ya, on the mountain!" Biever responded, "It was chasing me for hours! Did it follow me here?"

"There's more than one troll in Skyrim you know," Dove called back.

'The Labyrinthian beyond the gate sure is beautiful today,' Dove reflected calmly as she sprinted. The snow was only a light dusting, about an inch thick and the grey stone buildings and sculptures stuck out of it like they were a natural part of the mountains.

Leading the way between what would have been guard houses and down a flight of stairs towards the old market place, Dove paused her thoughts as a second growl from their left indicated the other frost troll that inhabited the site was on the same level as they were.

"See," Dove called back over her shoulder to the now running party, "Just like I said, more than one in Skyrim."

"SHUT UP!" Biever screamed in fear picking up his pace and trying to catch up with the elf.

"This way," Dove led the way to the right, around the domed shrine to the dragon priests of old, the very center of the small city, and pointed ahead. "Go that way, down the stairs and take a hard right. That's how you get out. I'll slow down our friends."

"WHAT?" Louise squaked, "We're not leaving you here to whatever those things are!"

"Yes you will," Dove shot back authoritatively, "That troll will cut us off if I don't deal with it. Don't worry about it, I've done this many times before. See you in a minute. Tabitha's in charge." With that, she followed the curve of the building and towards the second troll.

The troll was loping towards them, only fifteen meters away and closing. It's long gate sent it flying across the ground towards Dove and the others behind her. Cracking her knuckles, Dove reached inside herself and felt the power within flow from her core to her arms. In her right hand small bolts of lightning appears while her left suddenly flickered with fire as she funneled two elements.

Thrusting her left hand ahead of herself, Dove let the flames burst from her in an unending torrent that crashed against the Frost troll. Her left clenched and gathered the lightning into her palm.

The animal howled in anger and pain as it's naturally cold body caught fire, before it narrowed its three eyes and charged forwards through the fire to get at what was causing it pain. Charging through the fire, the troll raised itself up on two legs and brought it's muscled arms as high in the air as it could before bringing them both down on where Dove was standing.

Not willing to take the blow, Dove ended the spell and lept to the right. Her left hand suddenly stabbed forwards and for a moment a band of forked electricity connected her to the troll before the trolls body seized and recoiled, staggered.

Not wanting to lose the opportunity, Dove let another burst of fire leave her hands.

It proved unnecessary as a needle sharp shard of ice blew through the air, through the back of its neck, and out the other side.

Dove blinked, and let her magicka sliding back into her center. "What?" She had never seen a troll go down that quickly before. She felt bothered by how quickly the fight had ended. Looking over, she found that no one had listened to her order.

Three icicles floated around Tabitha's head and shoulders, all equally sharp at the one that had just killed the troll. "You're making us wait," Dove's lovely Cerulian said calmly before turning on her heel and leading the way towards the back exit of the city.

Dove found herself pouting, but following. 'I'll get her back later,' she thought plotting sweet revenge.

* * *

Biever looked around, wondering at the sudden change of temperature and climate. The change of temperature in mountain pass hadn't been too large but here, it just didn't seem natural to have a change as shocking as the one we witnessed from one side of the mountain to another.

The path beyond the mountains quickly grew until they were once again in a wide, open area just like it had been on the other side. Everything else about the path was different, though.

The ground was covered in a layer of snow, at least six inches everywhere except the road, which only had a light dusting, and there were trees growing everywhere, their branches and trunks black against the surrounding area.

The sunlight also felt weaker somehow, as if the Sun had gotten annoyed at the snow and moved somewhere else, leaving only a token warmth behind. The sky was clear, it just didn't contain anything that could penetrate the cold seeping up from all around them as the sun dropped lower in the sky.

The other side had been cold and dry but hadn't been too cold with the sun to warm them. The winter wonderland around him, however, was nippy at best and frigid in the shade.

"Aren't you glad that you decided to follow my advice and ditch those clothes back at the house?" Dove asked Kirche, shooting her a glance. There was no way that she would have been anything but an icicle if she had tried to wear that dress here.

"I admit that it was a foolish idea to wear it," Kirche groaned, not happy with the ribbing, "but can you stop bringing it up all the time?"

"I don't think I bring it up all the time," Dove said back, a small smirk on her face, "Just every time I look at you and think of the walking talking icicle you almost were."

"Where are we now?" Biever asked, interrupting the teasing, "and how did it get so snowy?" 'Also how are you not even phased by fighting that thing back there?' he added mentally.

"Skyrim has always been a little snowy," Dove answered with a laugh before adding, "We are in The Pale, one of the coldest areas in Skyrim. Get used to snow and ice because that's all we're going to see outdoors most of the time."

That soured Biever's mood. He didn't hate snow, but last time he checked it was only early fall in Tristain. 'What month is it?' he wondered before voicing the question.

"Rain's hand," Dove answered, "A rather bright Rain's hand, I'll admit, but still just Rain's hand."

"...What month is that?" he asked, confused.

"The fourth month of the year," Dove answered, "I believe you call it 'spring' in Tristain."

"This is spring?" Louise asked, looking down at the snow she was trudging through.

"Yup," Dove answered throwing her arms wide to engulf the land around them, "A fine Rain's hand day to be alive isn't?"

"I want to go back to Tristain now," Biever whined to himself.

-[]-

"Hey Dove?" Biever asked.

"Yes?"

"What's that large statue over there for?" There was a really large statue depicting some kind of winged monster on a nearby mountain they were passing by.

"...I don't think we need to talk about it, that only draws his attention."

"What?" Biever kind of didn't want to know the answer to the question he just asked. "Why?" That didn't feel any better.

"That's a shrine to Mehrunes Dagon. We don't want to draw his attention," Dove said shortly, "He isn't that bad most of the time, but he did try to break into and conquer the realm some 200 years ago, causing the end of the Septim dynasty and created a power vacuum when his minions murdered the emperor. So please don't bring his attention down on the five of us."

-[]-

"Hey, Dove?"

"Hm?" 'Please let this question be less awkward.'

"What happened to that burnt out building?"

'Oh crap.' "It was a victim of the war between Vampires and the Vigilants of Stendarr. Nice place to wait out a snowstorm." Dove tried to be honest but a little lighter.

"Oh."

-[]-

They had crossed into a small valley between two tall mountain ranges and passed several more interesting things on the way that that would have prompted questions and conversations earlier but now no one could summon up the nerve to ask Dove for information about them.

A small altar to a man stabbing a dragon, a large domed building that was set into the mountainside itself, and a cave that was crawling with large animals and wooden women standing guard.

Dove had avoided all of them like the plague, and the others weren't willing to get any closer. She had led the party through the snow coated valley, and once again up the side of a mountain towards another pass.

As they traveled onward, it got colder and colder and the sun got low on the horizon. 'How did anything live in places like this?' Biever wondered, slightly impressed. Cold was a killer and yet there was such verdant plants and large animals running around it boggled his mind.

"We're almost there. If we hurry we might be able to get to Winterhold before the sun completely vanishes from the sky," Dove broke the silence that had fallen on the travelers. They were standing at the base of a pass that looked surprisingly like a mouth or short cave. The rock overhead had formed an arch between the two mountains and large icicles had formed overhead like needle sharp teeth.

The party moved closer together as the road narrowed, uncomfortably guiding them towards towards the mouth. Dove ignored it all and continued onwards.

"Huh," Louise sucked in a breath and pulled the nearest person, Kirche, to her.

"What is it?" Dove asked, readying her Magicka.

"W-what is that?" Louise asked, trembling and pointing ahead.

"A skeleton," Dove answered, looking confused. Ahead, in the middle of of the pass, there was a raised slab slab of stone. Next to the slab was an iron shield, boots, and a steel sword. More importantly, on the slab was a skeleton laid to rest. It's helm was laid next to its skull and a shrine to Arkay next to it.

"But why is it here?" Biever questioned, confused and a little horrified. Graves and funerals were a big deal for the church, in fact it was a big deal for everyone in Tristain.

"I don't know," Dove admitted, "Dale has been here for longer than I've been adventuring."

"Dale?" Louise asked faintly, did Dove know who this person was? And if so why didn't she bury him.

"Well, I call him Dale," Dove said nonchalantly, "I don't know if its a he or she, but one day I got tired of passing through here and looking at him so I decided to name him Dale. No angry ghost appeared to haunt me for it so I assume he didn't mind."

The rest of the walk through the pass was made in complete and utter silence as every human in the group contemplated the odds of an angry ghost attack. The only elf, on the other hand, was confused as to what the big deal was. Ghosts weren't that scary after you stab them and all their wisp children.

Biever came to a decision about Dove's personality there and then: she was very uncaring about personal safety and thinking about her actions caused too many questions.

* * *

 **Chugging along,**

 **This might be mostly a 'getting there' chapter but I think it was a fair example of what running around (on the roads) in Skyrim was like.**


	73. Dun Dun DUUUUUUNNNNNNNNN!

**Somewhere within the various realities that span the Multivers,**

 **I own Skyrim and Familiar of Zero.**

 **Just not this one.**

* * *

 **RedBurningDragon: So its just a different version of normal, Dove can live with that. Can the other? :)**

 **XInsanityXGuiltechXShadowwindX: You ran into trolls while traveling too? I knew that trip to the grand canyon was a bad idea. ;P**

 **Cyclinity: You're lucky I couldn't think of a evil sounding title last chapter. Thanks, I think I'm getting better at writing them as a couple, hopefully.**

 **Mathew5641: Except when the journey is boring, ;P. Maybe, but Biever is so focused on her that he might just miss it laying around. Thanks for the complement.**

 **DragonSword35d: What would a 35 sided dice with a dragon and sword motif look like? (random thought). I think the fact that it was stagnant for so long is why it became a powder keg. Biever is a fountain of calm a patience, the eye of a storm so to speak, I think he's going to lose his ever loving mind in under three days at this rate.**

 **zanpaktospirit0: Truthfully, I name it something new every time I cross it, Dale was the most recent.**

 **The Bob: Thank you.**

 **Blackholelord: Of course they're going to visit the college. Dove told them that she was the arch-mage.**

 **XSDStitch: You give him too much credit, sometime during the trip is my guess. :)**

 **Mujahideen: True.**

 **naruhana: I enjoyed writing it.**

 **Touhou is Life: The random skeleton in the wayward pass.**

 **dreaddragonknight: Actions speak louder then words. The dawnguard don't hunt her because she's not a vampire, but they will try to kill her if they run into her for choosing the 'wrong' side.**

 **Cheese PuffXx: If he runs into one, he won't crap himself, he'd run.**

 **Rook115: Don't wory, just think about random other facts. Did you know that some people were buried alive because they were passed out drunk on the side of the road in olden days?**

 **Hell Fire: Yup, and it made a nice title.**

 **TheENDstyler: One needs to travel by foot to find everything, but then you can get lazy and Fast travel. However the fast travel is a game function not a realistic one, so I guess we're going to run into everything.**

 **Psykotic101: What about your companions? I take it they get left behind on occation? XD**

 **Uneasyknave1: Simple, Dove didn't study Alteration magic. Kind of foolish admittedly, but she had other things on her mind. One reason for her visit is to gather a wider variety of teachers since no one is a master of everything in real life.**

 **Carre: Days that's all I can say. I always need to know more about the rules so I can break them, thank you for the youtube channel. The blades are... not on the guest list, lets put it like that, I got the feeling that at least Deplhine was using me and Dove doesn't like that one bit so she doesn't feel the need to tell them anything. They used her to kill dragons, she used them to get to Alduin, she goes her separate way now but they might not like that (dun dun duuuunnnnnn!). Thanks for the support.**

 **bloodredmoon22: Dragon, Troll, or tripped and broke his neck... I thought of them all and concluded that he would suffer more alive and it would lessen the chances of an inquisition.**

 **LightningJack: Great.**

 **Guest: Here it its.**

* * *

 **Beta'd by evevee**

* * *

"Not that I'm complaining," Dove stated as the blood stopped flowing to her arm, "I appreciate the contact, but can you please loosen your grip? My arm is going to sleep."

Tabitha looked up at the elf and shook her head. For some reason, after coming across the pass and dead body in it, she had moved up to hug Dove's arm with a near death grip.

"Please?" As stated before, Dove didn't mind the contact, but she might need her right arm if they were attacked.

Another shake.

"Pretty please with a-" Dove leaned down a bit a whispered the rest in the cerulean's ear. Tabitha's eyes widened and a small blush appeared on her face. "-on top~?" Dove finished huskily, blatant blackmail.

This caused a bit of anguish to appear on Tabby's face before she resolutely shook her head again. "Why not?" the elf whined.

"Ghosts," Tabitha said simply, casting a wary eye around the frozen hillside.

"Aww~, is my little girl afraid of the dead?" Dove teased, tilting her head until her cheek rested on top of Tabitha's head. 'Might not be good idea to visit a tomb then.'

"Hm," Tabitha shook her head to dislodge the snickering elf.

Behind them, Biever moved up to stand next to Louise. "I have to ask," he started, looking at the couple ahead, "What is their relationship? They seem to be a very friendly with each other."

From behind them, Kirche decided to interrupt before Louise could say anything, "They're gay." Her blunt words drew shocked expressions from the two that brought a smile that screamed 'deviant' to her lips.

"I walked in on them in bed," she explained, pausing to check their expressions and relish in them before giggling and adding, "They didn't just let me watch."

Louise had steam rising from her head as the images assaulting her brain caused something to melt inside while Biever sported an equally red face but managed to hold it together. 'What is her position back home again?' the answer to his question was escaping him at this present time, but the phantom pain the thought created guaranteed it wouldn't be a good one.

"Are you guys coming?" Dove called back to them. She and Tabitha had managed to get almost a hundred meters down the hill in the time they were talking.

"Ya, coming~!" Kirche called ahead before shooting the others one last smirk and hurrying to follow.

* * *

"It looks better in the sunlight," Dove teased.

Louise didn't find that funny. The land beyond the wayward pass was cold, white, cold, barren, cold, and had an icy breeze coming from the north that, oddly enough, was also cold. "I don't think even the sun could make this place livable," she muttered.

"It surprisingly does," Dove commented. "With the sun out, the ice glows like fire. It is beautiful here during mid year and sun's height so long as the saber cats and ice wolves don't get you." This unfortunately didn't fill the others with the sense of wonder Dove had when she first looked upon the Pale. 'Different people like different thing I guess,' she decided.

The sun had long since disappeared below the horizon, plunging the sky into a gray void. Clouds blotted out the stars and white snow mixed almost seamlessly on the horizon. The grey mountain stones didn't exactly help the land's color palette either. This landscape only truly worked when the sky was clear and the Arora was out. When that happened, it looked like the Aedra were preparing to paint the virgin snow, a sight truly wondrous to behold.

"Hey look, houses," Kirche pointed forwards. Up ahead was a cluster of oddly shaped buildings, completely curricular walls that rose up from the snow like tubes.

"Nope, ruins," Dove corrected.

The path down from the pass was winding and led towards a field of snow. "I remember this place. Welcome to Alftand," Dove said grandly, "the tallest tower of the Dwemer."

The girls looked around, there was only snow and the fifteen or so meter tall buildings Kirche had pointed out. "Tower?" Kirche asked confused.

"Yup," Dove said, "Remember? The Dwemer were a people who lived underground. To them, a tower was something that reached down into the earth. These buildings," Dove gestured to the tube-like buildings around them, "are the 'top' level of a great labyrinth like building."

"... Why is Skyrim so full of ruins?" Tabitha asked, surprising the group.

"I think it has to do with the weather," Dove said with a mock tired sigh. "It's just my personal opinion, but I think that people take a look around them, look over at their traveling companion and say 'bet you I can build a city here.' Which they do and then it all gets frozen over or taken over by someone else." Grinning, she added, "Giving anyone else who comes afterwards great places to explore, full of traps, insane slaves, ghosts, death at every corner, and lost riches. It's so exciting!"

"..."

'The others definitely don't see the excitement of living here,' Dove sighed internally as everyone looked at her like she was crazy, even Tabitha this time. Deciding to ignore them, Dove strode forwards, calling back, "Don't worry your unappreciative heads, It's basically a trek through nothing but boring snow from here till Winterhold."

* * *

"I. Hate. Snow." Biever growled. There was no disagreement from any of the people not originally from Nirn. Dove was confused as to why the others were so down, it was a beautiful evening out.

"Well," Dove commented, grinning, "I think it might start snowing in an hour or two, it tends to become a mini blizzard around here in a heartbeat."

Biever, Louise, and Kirche shot the smug elf a glare.

"Oh look," Dove said, pointing ahead, "Habitation."

The three glarers reluctantly twisted around to look ahead. In front of them was a small gathering of thatched houses. "Habitation indeed," Biever admitted, "Looks to be a small town. How far away is this place from Winterhold?"

Dove blinked in confusion. "This is Winterhold," she said slowly as if trying to figure out what he was saying.

"Seriously?" Louise asked. Dove had told her about this town and the school nearby, so many of Dove's interesting stories started here in this hold. She was expecting more. Louise was expecting a whole lot more from the stand of maybe ten houses she was seeing up ahead.

"Yup."

"Oh." They were disappointed after Whiterun.

"Come on," Dove said, leading them into the 'city'. Behind her, the rest of her party moved to follow. "Does that look more like what you had in mind?" Dove asked as they came up a short hill and could overlook the entire area.

Now the college of Winterhold was in sight. The towering building filled Dove with a no small measure of pride, as it was her's now. Louise and Kirche both were awestruck, the college was smaller than the academy back home but the location blew their minds.

Beiver raised an eyebrow. It reminded a bit of Romalia and its various churches with its circular design and stonework.

"Wow," Tabitha said, summing up their thoughts. The large castle somehow looked like a magic school or church to her. Had to be the location.

"Why is it on an island? How is it standing?" The two noisy girls talked right on top of each other in trying to voice their questions.

Dove sighed as she suddenly felt like a tour guide again. "Welcome to Winterhold, home of the college of magicka," Dove said in a near monotone, "The city is several thousand years old and supposedly built along with the college by a mage named Shalidor with one spell."

"ONE SPELL!?" Biever was shocked, building a city with a single spell? It took teams of earth mages back in Halgreania days to build something on this scale.

"He was also credited with building the Labyrinthian as a proving ground for mages and lived in 'the fortress of ice', a place that has by now been completely turned to ruin possibly because of what it was made of," Dove added, smugly aware of how limited earth magic was in Tristain.

Biever felt like he had lost the fight before it even started.

"Come on," Dove finished, grinning like she had just won a fight, "Let's get going." Thrusting out her chest, Dove strutted forwards.

"What spells hold it together?" Tabitha's voice brought Dove up short.

"Huh?" Dove asked coming to a sudden stop.

"What spells hold the school up?" Tabitha explained.

"Um," Dove was drawing a blank, "I don't think there are any spells that hold the school on top of the stone pillar. Just good old physics."

That didn't go over very well with the others. "WHAT!?" Louise opted to seize Dove by the arm and shriek her concerns, "WHAT IF IT FALLS!"

"GAH!" Dove winced and covered the ear Louise had yelled into. "QUIT IT!" she turned and snarled back at the girl, "You're going to make me go deaf if you do that again."

"But you just said that there isn't anything keeping the school from falling," Louise reiterated, "What if it falls while we're visiting? Why would anyone live in such a place if it's dangerous."

"Because it's a safe haven for those who study magicka to do so and it hasn't fallen yet," Dove answered.

"Surely there's a safer place for that," Biever cut in. Endangering the next generation of mages was simply irresponsible in his opinion.

Dove snorted. "Not really," she answered, "There literally isn't anywhere else in Skyrim that has a gathering of magicka knowledge even a third the size of the College of Winterhold. It's just the best place for mages to learn."

"Wait. are you saying that this is the only school of magic in Skyrim?" Biever asked, surprise obvious in his voice.

"In Skyrim yes," Dove answered, annoyed at the interruption and misconception. "There are plenty of other places to learn MagicKA, in the other provinces of the Empire. Skyrim just doesn't care for magicKA, it doesn't make you greater or lesser in our eyes."

'Mages aren't the greatest being in the whole land? What strange world have I walked into?!' Biever thought feeling a headache coming on as this new perspective struck him.

* * *

'More snow and ice, though the collapsed buildings were a new touch,' Louise groaned looking around. The 'city' looked like it was falling apart around them, not exactly an encouraging thought with an unsupported bridge being the only way to the school proper.

"It looks…" Kirche kept on racking her brain for something nice to say about the place around them but was falling short. Walking through the main street was seriously depressing. Winterhold looked like a skeleton that was half frozen in the ground instead of a place that people actually lived in.

"Cold, snowy and run down," Dove finished for her redhead friend, "I know. However, the school is what draws people to this place and it is almost completely self sufficient. This place is basically just a trading post and tavern with the Jarl's longhouse thrown in."

"Are we going to visit the Jarl here then?" Louise asked, the last one had been fun.

"No, I don't like him and we got places to be," Dove answered, "like the Arcanaeum with Colette and Urag gro-Shub."

"Uhrag grows-shrub?" Louise really tried to say the name but it didn't sound like anything she had heard before.

"The head of the Arcanaeum, you'll like him Biever, he's a _die hard_ bibliophile," Dove said easily, all the while imagining the first encounter between the two. 'Would he panic at the ears or the jaw?' she mused before chuckling evilly.

They had arrived at the base of a ramp up onto the bridge. The towering bridge had a structure that was one part ramp and one part arched tower at its beginning that impressed upon those that entered under it that this was an important place.

"Is it really safe to cross here?" Louise asked next, looking at the bridge. It started out nice, but it was obvious when they were walking up that the bridge was only solid at the beginning and at the end.

"Yup."

"How is it safe? Can you go into more detail?"

"Nope, it just doesn't fall."

Louise felt her face heating up as she tried to hide her fear. "That doesn't exactly fill me with confidence," she shrieked.

"It's fine," Dove huffed and was about to say more when.

"Who comes this way?" a confident voice demanded from the start of the bridge and interrupted Dove.

Dove rolled her eyes and glanced up towards the tower portion of the entrance. "Just me and a few guests Faralda," she called up at the figure that was just now becoming visible. Standing in the shadow of the tower was a thin, short, figure that was both backlit by the sky and shadowed by the building, casting all features in darkness.

"Wait, is that you Dragonborn?" the excited voice, Faralda, shouted back.

"Of course," Dove said as she started moving up the ramp. Halfway up Faralda came out of the shadows with a happy smile being the first thing noticeable on her face, the second being pointed ears.

"About time you returned here, arch-mage," Faralda said oblivious to the nervous look now on the only male's face. "We had hoped that you would be back sooner from your journey to Solstheim."

"Sorry for taking so long, but I had a few errands to run and then got lost," Dove explained as if that covered everything.

Faralda sighed as she knew she wouldn't get a better explanation, instead she turned to the others. "Who are your companions? I don't recognize the clothes on the small nord despite the uniform he wears, and the rest look like they raided your wardrobe for anything that fit."

Her words caused a bunch of various expressions to cross the faces of those from Tristain, mostly embarrassment and anger. "Perceptive as ever," Dove smoothed over, "They're from other realms in Oblivion and didn't bring clothes that were suited for the weather here. Could I perchance bother the college for some novice robes that actually fit them?"

"It's your college right now so I don't see why not," Faralda answered, causing Biever to raise an eyebrow, before gesturing across the bridge, "but we can discuss this at length later. Lets go inside."

"Sure," Dove answered for the group and moved past the Altmer.

* * *

After crossing the bridge, a feat of great daring and much fear on Biever's part when they had come to a part of the bridge that was so broken that they had to pass single file as to not fall off the edge, they entered the college through the front gate.

Upon reaching the main courtyard though, all thoughts of the sheer drop around the building vanished. The courtyard was small and seemed like it had been locked in eternal winter, yet at the same time it looked like someone had pulled up and moved a more beautiful section of the natural landscape up and deposited it here. Quite simply, the snow worked in this setting.

The main building of the college stood proud and imperiously over them with a shaded walkway all around the open space. In the center of the area was a statue of a mage in flowing robes, hands held at the ready as if to charge Magicka spells. In front of said statue was a well from which pure magicka glowed and shot into the air to give the area a blue tint in the low light.

The academy of magic in Tristain was arguably a more impressive building with more space to teach their students the mystical arts, but it was basically a large structure that could be refitted for an type of gathering. This one courtyard, on the other hand, with it's statue and well, had already impressed upon its visitors that this place served only one purpose, teaching magicka.

"Okay," Kirche said raising a hand, "I'm impressed."

"Knew you would be," Dove said smugly before continuing, "This way to the arcanaeum."

"They can go to the arcanaeum if they want," Faralda interrupted with a frown, "I'll make sure they get there, or to bed seeing how late it is. You, on the other hand, arch-mage, are needed in your office. Mirabelle has been asking for you these past few weeks."

"Really?" Dove asked, "Can't it wait? My friend here has shown a strange reaction to casting magicka. In her realm, she could do it easily, but here, it did something strange and I'm concerned that she might be sick or something."

"I'm sure Colette will be more then happy to look her over in the morning," Faralda assured her fellow mer, hiding an evil smile, "Mirabelle needs you right now."

She had a point, night was almost upon them and everyone Dove wanted to look over Louise would be in bed. "We're kind of getting tired as well," Louise added.

"Alright," Dove acknowledged before turning to the others, "I guess I'll be in my quarters, first door on the left after entering the college proper."

"Where should we sleep?" Tabitha asked having gotten used to sleeping with Dove and not wanting to be far away from her in the strange realm.

"You guys can sleep in the Hall of Attainment over there," Dove said, pointing over towards the aforementioned hall. "It has novice robes as well that would help you fit in with the others."

Tabitha let out a small frown as they were to be seperated. Noticing the look, Dove gave her a reassuring smile. "I'd be more than happy to show you my quarters in the morning," she soothed her lover, "but if Mirabelle, the second in command for the college, needs me then I might not be getting to bed anytime soon."

Reluctantly, Tabitha agreed.

* * *

"So, what does Mirabelle need help with?" Dove asked dispassionately. She might have been reassuring when the others were around, but she really didn't like leaving the others in a strange place so suddenly.

"Nothing much," Faralda said in a benign voice, "just a bit of paperwork that needs to arch-mage's signature."

"I see," Dove's ears perked up, paperwork didn't seem too bad. Compared to visiting ruins and fighting dragons she might be able to get back to the others quickly enough if that was all.

At that moment, she opened the door to the arch-mage's quarters.

"HehehehHEHEHEHEHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH FINISHED! TAKE THAT YOU PILE OF PULPED WOOD!"

The Arch-mage's room was a large circular place with small garden with a tree, all manner of potion ingredients growing in the center under the glow of mage light with a wall around it seperating the garden from the bed area. It was a magnificent, magical, and practical set up for the room.

None of which matter now.

Dove's ears dropped in shock as the normally calm and proper Mirabelle shrieked like a witch in a hagraven's lare. The woman was standing next to a table with a pile of papers on it, the table was only to her waist but the stack reached to her crazed eyes.

"Mira?" Faralda called softly, like she was approaching a wild animal, "I brought the arch-mage."

Mirabelle's eyes flicked over the newcomers before fixing on Dove's face. "You," she growled, her hand pointing at Dove like the finger of Arkay, "come here."

"Um, I'd rather not." Dove tried backing up but Faralda stood behind her, keeping her in place.

"Get. Here. Now," Mirabelle growled before moving over to a nearby cupboard, "I have your pile over here."

Dove found herself overshadowed by the stack of paper needing her to look over and wishing that it was a dragon instead.

* * *

The Frozen Hearth Inn, despite the name choice, was a great place to get out of the cold. It was maybe the only place in Winterhold open to all travelers at all times of the day.

This was fortunate for the white haired man in plain black clothes as he stumbled in late at night. "Good Evening to you sir," Dagur, one of the co-owners of the Inn called to the apparently old man, "Might I interest you in something to warm?"

Dagur was a classic handsome Nord, strong, blond and strong looking. His clothes were as common as his looks but his character was what made him stand out amongst the rest. His welcoming and warm gaze could fill the room without the fire in its center.

The other owner of the old Inn was Haran, his wife. She was just as classically Nord beautiful as her husband, also brown-blond and wearing common Innkeeper clothes, but her eyes were dark and expressive. They gave those who looked her in the eye the impression that they were looking into her soul.

"A mug or two of mead wouldn't go amiss," the man said in a voice like gravel.

Dagur nodded before handing his wife a bottle to deliver.

After giving his thanks in the form of a rather good tip, the man moved to drinking and examining the room around him. He was here for more then the drink and warmth however, looking around he quickly found the only other visitor.

A man in a hooded blue robe sat nearby.

"Are you an elven mage who studies the stars?" the blue robed man jerked a bit as the voice surprised him.

"Maybe," blue asked black, "Who are you, dog man? Did the College or jarl Korir send you?"

"I'm looking for some old friends of yours, the ones who've taken to the wilds after llinalta's deep will do nicely," The man in black said, ignoring both the 'dog man' comment and the questions, really just hearing the vague acknowledgement of the name while lifting his hood.

"WHAT?!" blue shrieked, earning a polite but firm 'shush' from Dagur at the counter, there were others in the bed rooms afterall. "I don't know what you're talking about," blue continued in a much quieter voice.

Arnbjorn glared at the mer's fear before taking a sip from the bottle. "Don't think I'm stupid. The Brotherhood has been studying everything the dragonborn has been involved in after she came to our attention. We know you pointed her towards Malyn Varen in llinalta, and that you kept an eye on those who escaped her. I wish to get in contact with them."

"You're mistaken," the mage said. "I don't give out names or whatever it is you want."

"Not asking for names," Arnbjorn said, "Just their last known location."

"Why should I tell you?" blue asked, fearing the answer.

True to his worries, the man from the brotherhood leaned in. "If you tell me what I want, Nelacar, I give you coin," he said calmly, seeming to put the altmer at ease with the promise of gold. "If not, I give you iron in a dark alleyway." That was more in line with how he imagined this conversation would go.

"Alright," Nelacar said, giving in. "I heard that Malyn's old acolytes could be found near the sightless pit. Be warned though, they're all kinds of undead, vampires and thralls mostly, so they'd be as likely to eat you as listen to you."

"Thank you," Arnbjorn said, standing immediately.

"What? Not going to spend the night? It's past ten," Nelacar asked, confused since no one apart from crazy dragon ladies and vampires went wandering about at this time.

"I'm in a hurry," was all Arnbjorn said as he opened the door, letting in a cold flurry or snow, and vanished into the night.

"Strange man," Nelacar said before noticing a coin on the table. "Guess he was being literal about giving me 'coin' for my information," the altmer chuckled before noticing that the man had left the mead bottle as well.

'Great bonus though,' he added, letting a grin sprout on his face. The only thing bothering him was that he couldn't remember where he last heard of a so called 'brotherhood' before.

-[]-

"Hey, Nelacar." Dagur called out to his guest. The Altmer was still sitting at the table where he had been meeting with the stranger. "Are you alright?"

Nelacar didn't answer, just sat hunched over the bottle.

"Nelacar? Nelacar, don't tell me you fell asleep. You can't get caught in here or Korir will kick up a fuss."

No response, did he drink the other man's mead? Dagur made a mental note to keep a better eye on how much Nelacar drinks next time.

"Haran, can you please wake Nelacar up?" Dagur called softly to his wife.

"Sure," Haran called back. Putting the broom she had been using on the floor to the side for a moment, she walked over and gave the mage a shake on the shoulder and finally got a response.

Nelacar fell to the ground, already as cold as the floor.

* * *

 **Dun Dun DUNNNNN!**

 **I needed that.**

 **Both someone dying and the Dun Duns.**


	74. Wake up, pants on fire

**chocolate chocolate bate bate chocolate**

 **Too much Chocolate.**

 **Skyrim is owned by bethesda and Familiar of Zero by... someone who died with the publisher taking over. RIP**

* * *

 **Touhou is Life: Not so much an arc as a longer side story.**

 **Ronmr: In my head it was because they got in late, they were tired and couldn't see it's full glory.**

 **king Quinn The Last Heir: Nelacar, I didn't like him personally.**

 **XSDStitch: Yup, Dove's going to have nightmares about this.**

 **Guest: I think Tabitha would learn ice atronach first then storm. Kirk, James T kirk? Tou lost me there.**

 **RedBurningDragon: The nobles of** **Halkegenia survivability depends on how religious they are, so not looking good. Julio didn't help but I think Dove is more afraid of an Inquisition then offended by him. Jizargo will be going to Tristan.**

 **dreaddragonknight: Dove is a master in Destruction, and Restoration, she's adept and conjuration but has almost no skill for Illusions or Alteration. She likes using her hands so she's a master smith and enchanter as well with Archery, heavy armor and one handed as her main proficiencies. More then you asked but I needed to remind myself of them.**

 **zanpaktospirit0/NacNak: Yup.**

 **Quacer Ava: I feel like your writing a profile for me with your review. I openly admit that I'm am strange, I have a doctor's note giving a name to said strangeness. Thank you for coming to the conclusion that my imagination overcomes my flaws, that really helps my self image. Hope you enjoy where I'm going next.**

 **ForgottenGrimiore: Forgotten Gimily More, such a sad dwarf... I've had too much chocolate today. I didn't. The idea for the paperwork came because I'm (Fingers crossed) going to finish all of Naruto Shippuden and it wouldn't leave me alone until I added paperwork somewhere.**

 **Carre: You're welcome. To be fair, they didn't exactly tell others about it. I don't like the blades, Period, there is a phrase from a Skyrim/Inheritance cycle cross over that sums up my feelings "The one thing I do not tolerate or forgive... is willing betrayal". There is no reason why the college wasn't affected, it just didn't fall during the great collapse. Maybe. Restored it. Arnbjorn was once a companion so he knew where to find it and it made a good 'out of the way' spot to meet. Mirabelle lived, Savos Aren died. Thanks.**

 **TheEndstyler: I don't think there ever was a reason given.**

 **The Distorted Shadow: I suck at words, ironic considering that I'm a writer. I learned to write by sounding out words and thinking about their proper definitions second so I'm not surprised to hear that I screwed up, I can only say sorry and try better. I don't recall saying that Aedra had realms in Oblivion, did I write that somewhere or give the impressing that that was the case? As for ZnT church... I heard it was a roman catholic equivalent which I'm not a member of. They pray to Brimir and in the anime it looks to me like they see him as god to me so that's what I wrote him as. My plans for the future are morphosis and highly influencable, your thoughts are heard. Now I can't get the image of 'Priestess Kirche' out of my head.**

* * *

 **Beta'd by evevee**

* * *

Tabitha's eyes flicked open unhappily.

She might have gone to bed a little late last night, but her internal clock wouldn't let her sleep longer than first light. Knowing it was useless to try and sleep again, she slipped out of bed and made her way to a cupboard to pull out a spare apprentice robe. After quickly change out of her bed clothes, she moved out of the little nook like room and into the tower's main area.

The 'Hall of Attainment' was more of a short tower than a hall. A high vaulted ceiling split the two rafters branched out from the center before diving down towards the floor, giving the room the impression that it was divided like a clock with two levels. A 'magicka well' in the center of each room was placed like each hour on the clock.

Surprisingly, she wasn't the only one awake at about five in the morning. A strange person leaned back in a chair he had brought from his own room and was doodling in a small booklet by the light of the magicka well.

"J'zargo was wondering who was in his friend's bed." The cat man was interesting, his way of talking, his looks, were intriguing to her.

"Well? Why are you in her room, in her bed? Where is she?" the cat man's ears twitched in annoyance.

"We're together," she answered, "She was needed in the main tower."

"... J'zargo sees," the cat mage said after a moment to think it over. "Why are you awake? Most sleep for at least another hour or so."

"Usual wake up time," Tabitha said without elaboration.

"I see," J'zargo replied, reaching up to pull at his whiskers. "In that case, would you be willing to test J'zargo's new scrolls? They're better versions than the ones I gave to be used by the dragonborn."

"Scrolls?" Tabitha asked for clarification.

"You don't know about scrolls? Think of them as stored spells," J'zargo said easily. A part of him was confused as to how she hadn't known about scrolls, every mage should know about scrolls.

"New realm," Tabitha explained.

"Really?" J'zargo's ears perked up. The dragonborn had told him about the time she had traveled to Sovngarde, "Interesting. What is it like in your home realm?"

"Tense," Tabitha didn't want to talk about home right now.

"I see," J'zargo repeated, "Still, are you willing to try J'zargo's scrolls?"

Tilting her head Tabitha thought about it. Storing a spell in parchment sounded incredible useful, and brought some questions.

Why didn't her people use something similar back home? Could magic be stored like Magicka? It would cut down on casting time in dangerous situations if it could be made ahead of time and used when needed.

At the same time, if magic could be storied like Magicka apparently could then what would happen if the scrolls got stolen? If a powerful mage created one and someone else stole it then there'd be issues.

Either way, it sounded too interesting to pass up now. Nodding in acceptance, Tabitha held out a hand for the curious things.

J'zargo smiled as he handed over his creation; Super Boom Fire Shield V2!

-[]-

The cool surface of her desk helped ease the arch-mage's early morning headache. Dove lay with her head pillowed by her arms to try and ease the pain. She had spent hours working on the papers; signing her own name at the bottom of a page had never been this hard before.

Mirabelle had sat in a chair, situated by the wall next to the door leading out, watching her like a hawk as if she would disappear or run away, until she had finished the entire pile of work. Thankfully she had finished, at four or so in the morning.

Now all she could do was lay there and pray for a few minutes of sleep. Mirabelle and Faralda were both already asleep where they had sat down; Mirabelle in the aforementioned chair while Faralda was laid out on a bench with a thick book under her head. Part of her didn't want to sleep since she was so close to dawn and needed to be awake for Louise's examination, but the heavy chains of exhaustion dragged at her.

She was so invested in her struggle between life and asleep that she didn't hear the door to her chamber open or a pair of feet come up the stairs and into her room.

Tabitha looked around as she entered Dove's chambers. The room had a tree of all things growing in the center, a wall separated what must be the living area from the rest of the office, and displays showing off animal parts, books, crystals of some kind, and other magic paraphernalia were everywhere. On top of that, the light didn't seem to come just from candles and horn torches, there were balls of pure white light floating in mid air around the tree in the center.

There was no comparison now, The College of Winterhold was head, shoulders, and maybe even torso above the Academy of Magic in shear awe inspiring displays of mystical power.

Focusing her attention back away from the room itself, she instead focused onto the people in it. The first to get her attention was a brown haired woman whose mouth was open and slightly drooling, then over to the elf they had encountered at the entrance, and finally to the person she had come here for.

Dove looked more defeated then she had ever seen her before, like someone had ripped her soul out and jumped rope with it.

Taking pity on her, Tabitha quietly searched around the room for a blanket and pillow. The room was even more interesting around the back than in front. There were more books for one and barrels that seemed to be stuffed with enough plants to grow a garden.

Workstations were pushed into corners here and there along with chests and a safe. Ignoring all this with a bit of difficulty, Tabitha continued walking around until she found the bed, stripped it of its blanket and pillow, and returned without looking too hard.

Stealthily moving up to her lover, Tabitha placed the blanket around Dove's shoulders. Dove's mind registered that she was now warmer but didn't respond as the feeling pulled her deeper towards the coveted snooze mode.

After waiting a bit to check for a reaction, Tabitha lifted Dove's head just a bit and snuggled the pillow under it before releasing. The soft feeling of cloth covered wool along with the warmth was too much for Dove's mind to stand up to and sleep finally took over.

Tabitha allowed a small amused smile to peak out as Dove's own happy, slightly drooling, smile graced her. Abandoning her lover for now, Tabitha went over to stare at the floating lights.

* * *

"Duzz my arse," Dove muttered as her mind finally began to rouse her. Half formed memories of nightmares tormented her, Alduin made out of literal paperwork, Harkon standing over her while asking if the budget for next year could be extended to include a trip to Arkngthamz on the other side of Skyrim, and finally, Miraak in a swan princess tutu.

Not all nightmares had to be paperwork related.

"Your arse what?" a voice from behind her caused Dove to jump a bit before she whirled around. Tabitha was sitting there calmly reading a book without a care in the world, although the book was placed just so to hide her mouth and cheeks.

"Is stiff and sore," Dove groaned before sliding her chair back and forcing herself to rise. "That feels so good," Dove yawned as she reached overhead and arched her back.

"What time is it?" she moved on, heading towards where her bed and spare clothes were.

"Almost one," Tabitha answered.

"WHAT?!" Dove's shriek echoed behind the wall before she brought it down a notch, "I slept in past noon?!"

"Yes."

"Dang. What about Louise and Kirche? Has Biever caused any issues?" Dove asked, pulling off her shirt before throwing on a beige tunic.

"No. Kirche is in town, Louise went with her," Tabitha answered, "Biever went to the library." She had watched them all from a small window.

"It's called the Arcanaeum," Dove called back as she fastened a belt around her tunic with the empires diamond dragon on the front in black. Moving to the safe, she pulled out a daedric dagger and a staff with a perfect stone sphere set into its top like the rest of the staff had grown around it.

"Library," Tabitha returned, what did Arcanaeum even mean technically?

"Whatever," Dove decided it wasn't worth arguing over, "Did you go with him? Please tell me you were there to see his reaction to Urag."

Shaking her head, Tabitha had to let Dove down. "I was here," she responded verbally trying to figure out why Dove was so set on getting Biever and this Urag together.

"Dang, I wanted to see what happens when he comes face to face with an Orcmer," Dove snorted before picking up an amulet to her father and a pair of subtly glowing gold and sapphire ring. "Well," she said once she was prepared, "lets go seize the day, no matter how late it is."

Tabitha closed the book she had been reading and stood to take in her lovers new clothes. "You like?" Dove asked giving Tabitha a small twirl.

"They're good," Tabitha answered before a thought occurred to her, "Are there robes for the arch-mage alone?"

Dove stuck out her tongue in distaste. "Ya, but I don't really like them," she answered, "Enough about clothes, let's go find Louise and Kirche."

* * *

"So, What are you?" Biever was sure that was a disrespectful question, but he was sure that a blunt approach would work best with the man in front of him.

"Orc. Haven't you seen one before, or opened a book about us? For that matter, who are you?" Urag gro-shub asked in his normal, harsh base voice. The stranger in front of him was dressed oddly, no one was stupid enough to wear all white clothes in a snow area for fear of being lost.

"I'm a Falmen of Brimir," Biever stated proudly feeling a bit of strength come from the pronouncement.

"Never heard of him," Urag crushed that sense of strength like a bug, causing Biever to visibly wilt.

"I'm from… another realm," Biever added as way of explanation.

"Ah," Urag said noncommittally, "Do you have any bibles from your church? All books are welcome here-" Biever's hope returned, "-even if no one is willing to read them." Hope died like sanity in the Shivering Isles, quoting shakespeare before exploding.

"No, I wasn't expecting to go on a trip across realm and forgot to pack one," Biever said with a self deprecating smile, "It was a bit of a shock actually."

"Then why did you come?" Urag asked curious, "Going anywhere in Skyrim unprepared is foolish. Unprepared idiots here become corpses."

"I was following my dog and he ran into the portal here. I didn't notice were I was until I found myself on top of a mountain."

"...You're kind of an idiot, aren't you?"

"Yes he is," an overly enthusiastic voice spoke up from the front of the Arcanaeum. Turning about, Biever let out a long suffering groan as he caught sight of Dove's cheerful face. "But I think we can forgive him, he wasn't raised right," she added throwing a teasing smirk at the Falmen.

Biever's frown deeped. A memory depicting a larger than life man sneering down on a small Biever flashed across his memory before he shook it away. "I guess I wasn't," he allowed with carefully controlled blandness.

Dove frowned, she hit something tender there.

"Anyway," she moved on but noted the event, "I hope you two are getting along."

"He screamed like a babe and backed into a wall when he saw me at my desk," Urag sold the human out with a sharp grin, "I take it he has some kind of issues with orcs in his realm, correct?"

"Try all things with pointy ears."

"Hm."

"Moving on," Biever intervened shooting a glare at the scholar, "why did you want me here Dove? Was it just to embarrass me by not telling me that the librarian is an orc or did you have an actual reason?"

"A bit of both," Dove said without any guilt. "I need your opinion regarding void magic," she said plainly, causing Biever's expression to widen in surprise and suspicion.

"Void magic? Brimir's own element?" he asked for clarification and received a vigorous nod in response. "Why do you need to know?" he asked next.

"Louise has Void as her element and her magicka has been acting strange since we came here," Dove told him.

'How does she know what Louise's element is?' Biever mentally asked, he would need to consult with Julio as soon as he got back.

"What's all these element you two are talking about?" Urag interjected.

"In their realm they say that magic, note magic not magicka, is split into elements and every mage has as a natural affinity for one element over all others," Dove answered, "Louise has an affinity for 'Void', the same kind as their 'god' Brimir. It's been said no mage has had Void since him."

"Hm," Urag was already deep in thought, there was something pecking at the back of his mind.

"Anyways, I was hoping you could tell me if there was any time that the void 'failed' for lack of a better word," Dove finished asking Biever. "She tried casting a spell with magicka and it came out like someone had burst a zit or something."

"There were stories about how Brimir needed time to cast a large spell but nothing about his magic 'failing' outright, he was a god after all" Biever said, confused but trying to be as helpful as he could.

"Maybe there's some unknown relationship between magic and magicka, the abundance of it in our realm could be affecting her," Dove hypothesised ignoring the religious talk, "What's different about our realm then theirs?"

"We have Daedra and Aedra," Urag said as his thoughts finally started coming to him. "A Daedric prince might cause something like that."

Dove looked at the librarian sharply. "A Daedra?" she asked, confused. They hadn't had any contact with a Daedric lord since Sheogorath and most other daedra were too weak to contact the world unless it was through a lord or summoned.

"What if she somehow attracted the attention of a Daedric lord?" Urag suggested as he started rummaging around for a book to support his theory. "It sounds like this 'void magic' is rather impressive and related to the god of this guy's" he looked at Biever, "realm. If this magic relates to one of their own realm, it could be seen as an attack by whomever used the magic and take offence."

Dove paled as the thought hadn't occurred to her. A Daedric Prince taking offence at Louise's power and deciding to do something about it was the stuff of nightmares in her opinion.

"Is that possible?" Biever asked naively, "Gods don't get involved with mortals and whatever these 'deadricks' are, they can't hurt her directly can they?"

"Oh they can," Dove intoned, "Daedrics can do whatever they want so long as it doesn't bring the other Daedra's anger upon themselves." Mora popping in for a 'be my champion' chat, Dagon and the Oblivion crisis, even Meridia, a 'nice' Daedric prince, deciding to lift a random stranger up off the ground just to give them a quest in the sky. Getting a Daedra's attention was never a good thing for your health.

Biever felt a cold stone of worry appear in his guts at the Dragonborn's solemn words.

"Found it," Urag said pulling out a small stack of books. The covers of these novels weren't as immaculately cared for as the others in his possession, but they had the information he wanted. Flipping through the pile, he came to the one he was looking for.

"This isn't a well read book," Urag said opening it and smiling, "but I kept on thinking about it every time you said void." Finding the right page, the orc read, "Sithis is the start of the house. Before him was nothing, but the foolish altmer have names for and revere this nothing. That is because they are lazy slaves, from the Sermons, 'stasis asks merely for itself, which is nothing."

Dove shivered at the name and at what it implied. "Sithis is nothing as in a void? But he's an Aurbis, not a Daedric, right?" she asked for dreaded clarification.

"Indeed," Urag answered to both, "This book is old, dating all the way back to the Oblivion crisis. It was found by you, Dragonborn, in that assassins den you destroyed about a year or so ago."

Dove remembered, she had picked up a thing or two there thinking they could be useful but had dropped off the books with Urag.

"This one also contains the journal notes of a member of the Black Hand named Lucien Lachance," Urag noted before saying, "It contains an admonishment to other members of the group: "Know this. Every Dark Brother and Sister is a child of Sithis. He whom we call Sithis has many other names. Chaos. Doom. Discord. Sithis is the Void."

"And he doesn't like it when someone uses power that belongs to him," Dove finished off the thought, "Aedra, I hope he doesn't get the Black Hand involved." 'Good thing Sithis doesn't do much in Nirn,' she added to herself feeling confidence returning.

As an Aurbis, Sithis didn't touch Nirn that often. Aurbis weren't beings like Daedric princes or Aedra, they were next level beings, Primordial titans compared to Aedra and Daedric gods. Unlike Daedrics, there just wasn't anything in the realm that interested him enough to warrant direct intervention.

"Hey Dove?" The disturbed and guilty tone of Kirche's voice was the first sign of something wrong.

Turning back towards the entryway, Dove saw the redhead coming in. She looked afraid, playing with the torn hem of her robe, looking around at the room instead of at her. Dove started to feel that confidence leaving again.

"Do you know anyone in black and red leather? They just ran off with Louise," she asked producing a single page of parchment with a large black hand print placed on the center.

"...Gjok pah fron do aand."

* * *

"Why can't we find anything?~"

Kirche was less than happy with the decision to come to Winterhold. The place was a complete dump with nothing to do or shops to buy fancy clothes at. She had woken up about an hour after the sun had risen and immediately pulled Louise and Biever from their bed.

Ignoring their many complaints, she had started to drag them back across the bridge towards the 'city' of Winterhold for some early morning shopping. Biever, being the man he was, had dug his heels into the pathing stones and chickened out, refusing to cross with them, so she left him standing there in the early morning cold while she took Louise with her.

She had visited the only shop in the town and found it lacking in anything she wanted. She should note that there were plenty of useful things for travelers and people who lived in Winterhold, but very little in the way of souvenirs.

Now the two girls were left wandering back to the school, one happy to no longer being dragged while the other was grumbling unhappily to herself.

"They just don't have time for looking pretty," Louise reasoned with her companion, "They live in a place where things are falling apart round them. Fancy clothes and jewels aren't on their minds right now."

"Well they should be," Kirche huffed, throwing her head back and to the side in an exaggerated motion, "People just living day to day is so boring that they might as well not exist. They need beautiful things like clothes and jewelry to bring life to this place." Her entitled rant drew no response from her small friend.

It did however, draw the gaze of someone down a short alleyway.

"Hi there, pretty lady," a high, little girl's voice called out to them. Turning about the two were surprised to see a small, brown haired girl in a red dress. She looked harmless enough but also very cold. She waved at them, however, as if unbothered by the snow.

"Hello," Kirche responded with an awkward wave, "are you lost little one?"

The girl shook her head calmly. "My ma and pa are on the road over the hill behind me," she said with a smile, "We're traveling merchants from Solitude, there were too many jewlers in the city so we were going to move here but our wagon collapsed on the road."

"Jewelers?" Kirche perked up happily, not seeing anything wrong with the situation.

"Yes," Babette said with a smile, "can you please help us? Our wagon broke down up the road a bit, I'm sure my papa would love to trade some of our wares in exchange for help."

Louise frowned. Dove had shown how brutal Skyrim could be, how violent and uncertain it was, this girl was out of place. A random party of people asking Kirche for help and just so happened to have what she wanted lying around didn't seem to be a likely event.

"Sure, let's go Louise," the red head started moving before she finished talking.

"Wait," Louise called after her friend.

Kirche looked back at the pink mage as she stepped into the alleyway. "What?" she called back, "Come on, these poor people need our help. We can move their cart easily with magic."

"I just think we should get someone else to help," Louise reasoned, taking a step away from the strange girl, "More hands helping makes the job easier and all that."

Kirche raised an eyebrow in confusion. Louise's behavior was kind of odd, it was distracting her from finding the shinies! "I'm sure we can do it between us," she said reassuringly, "Come on."

"I'll go get Dove, she can get a few others to help as well," Louise took a second step away.

"Who's Dove? Can she help my mummy and daddy?" the girl asked lightly. On the inside, the three hundred year old vampire was growling in anger, 'Get over here stupid girl. I promised not to kill you, we need you.'

"She's the arch-mage at the College over there," Louise answered pointing towards the building in question.

Babette's eyes widened with shock and she only barely managed to hold onto her fake 'child inoccence' face. "The arch-mage? You mean the dragonborn Dægeseáge Nightvale?" she asked, tilting her head and giving her target a smile.

"Ya her," Kirche answered for Louise, "she's our friend." She didn't understand why Louise was so hesitant about going but more hands would be helpful, even if they asked for a share of the jewelry.

"That can't happen yet, grrr I hate changing in the sun."

Kirche looked around in confusion only to take an involuntary step back. The girl was now glaring at her, she hadn't noticed that the child's eyes were a dark orange before. "Take her!" the child called to someone out of sight as black smoke started rising from her body obscuring her.

Kirche jerked back and grabbed for her wand as people in black and red clothes flooded out around the corners of the building. There were four or five of them in various black and red robes, their faces masked with hoods and masks. They quickly moved to follow the former girls order.

At the same time a roar escapes the child as she throws her arms out wide and seemed to burst from her own skin. The monster beneath leapt at the fire mage before she could bring her wand all the way up, throwing out one long clawed hand to knock it away before falling on Kirche. She screamed as the winged thing landed on top of her and crushed her into the snow.

Behind her, Louise pulled her own wand and shouted. "Explo-"

A man with white hair and a large build moved before she could finish, stepping forwards he punched her in the gut and followed up by grabbing her by the head and slamming her into the ground. "Gah!"

"Dope her," the man ordered one of his hooded companions.

Louise groaned and tried to look up to see through the snow and pain only to get a dirty, foul smelling, rag in her face. The ground seemed to lurch under her as whatever smelled so strongly started to overwhelm her senses. Then everything dimmed, and went black.

Kirche struggled against her attacker, trying to get a hand hold on the grey thing on top of her but couldn't find purchase on it's skin.

Reaching down and picking up the pink haired girl, Arnbjorn deliberately dropped a paper where she had been. "Babette," he called to his fellow creature before suiting his own words and running towards the back alleyway, "We've got to go." The sound of running feet heralded the guards coming.

Giving one more snarl to the downed red head, the vampire jumped up and ran after them. Her long legs helping her keep up with them while her childs ones couldn't.

Rolling onto her stomach and snatching up her wand, Kirche shot to her feet and raced after them. Sliding around the corner, she found herself facing a short drop to a lower cliff side and several figures already almost to the bottom.

"FIreBALL!" she roared, anger and fear causing her voice to crack but not stopping the flaming projectile from bursting from her stick and racing after them.

Below, the oldest mortal of the group screamed as his back became a bonfire and he let go of the wall for a second to beat at the fire burning him. The old man's screams became even more high pitched when the action caused him to lose his balance and plumet off the side.

A solid crunch ended his cries.

Around Kirche the guards finally arrived and started unlimbering their bows only for the group to round a bend in the cliff and disappear from sight.

Kirche felt bile in her throat as the man's death disturbed her, before she staggered back to where the attack took place. Snatching up the paper left there, Kirche read it before taking off towards the College of Winterhold.

* * *

 **!Happy Easter and April Fools!**


	75. Oblivion-mart: Killer deals on sale!

**I had so much writers block on this.**

 **Skyrim and Familiar of Zero isn't owned by Snipern0nsiping**

* * *

 **CabooseHelpsU: I also prefer playing the DB quest-line, but I had a blast doing the destroy DB one as well so I get where you're coming from. I'm not sure any of those alive could be turned, Nazir is too much of a professional to give up and Dove's pissed the rest off too much.**

 **The Distorted Shadow: I set it up as a chance encounter, The brotherhood was casing the college to sneak in and carry out their plans but this let them take her with less fuss, I'm planning on having a more clear description of their plans next chapter. I'm not sure if they'll make it to solitude, unless Biever learns about Dove's dragon form then it'd take over a day to get back and that's not counting time getting Louise back. I'm open to suggestions on how they might get there. Thanks for pointing out my mistakes, Orcmer was supposed to be Orsimer.**

 **king Quinn The Last Heir: I loved his character so he had to make an appearance. You're welcome.**

 **Sazq: I'm sad to say that Louise is now sausage... Jk :P I think she'll be alright if they get to her in time- *looks under desk*, oh look something shiny to waste time looking at.**

 **Mathew5641: That's all you need to say to me as a reader.**

 **RedBurningDragon: Maybe it was a bad idea but think about all the deals that could be made in a town like that. Yup time to hunt down a group of ticked off professional killers.**

 **VulpineSnow: sorry, Arnbjorn lives, I might not have been clear enough but he wasn't the one to fall to his death.**

 **halo is bad ass: Maybe an omake but I don't have any plans on turning anyone into a vampire or werewolf, unless someone can convince me otherwise ;).**

 **NacNak; Yup he'd dead.**

 **Guest: Here it is.**

 **TheENDstyler: Short answer; rather well with an outlet.**

 **dreaddragonknight: once we get track them down ya.**

 **Rook115: I spent a while reading up on the void and then just all lore to make sure I got it right, finding out that Sithis was technically a primordial and not a daedric actually helped.**

 **Carre: You're welcome. I'm not sure, they really didn't make a large impression on me so probably not. Is it bad that I included it because I loved the name I made up for it? Yup. I haven't thought about when Dove goes to earth, it's so far just been an amusing idea that might make it into the story (But you already found an excuse!) Dang it Sheo, I thought you were gone for good! I have. Thanks and I don't see anything wrong with your review, I can read it easily enough.**

* * *

 **Beta'd by evevee**

* * *

"...Gjok pah fron do aand," Dove breathed. Her body felt cold and strangely disconnected from herself, frozen like someone had replaced her spine with an ice wraith.

Kirche, however, looked awful. "I'm sorry," she said, tracing the mortar between the stones with her toes, "It's my fault she got taken."

"Tell me everything that happened," Dove ordered vaguely as the sensation of floating increased.

Kirche spoke, telling her about how stupid she had been, jumping at the first chance she could find to get jewelry or decorative clothes, about how she had been taken in by a cute little girl, and then the attack.

"Damn," Dove said once she fell silent, "I didn't think you had it in you to kill." She was feeling more grounded now as the shock passed and a gave way to burning anger.

Kirche shivered as she remembered. "I've been in battle before, remember?" she interjected foolishly.

"But did you ever kill?" Dove shot back, her temper low but intense like coals, like the anger she felt over Tarbes. "Did you ever watch someone die because of your action? I think not."

Kirche had to give her that, aside from today she couldn't think of anyone she had killed before. "No," she verbally admitted.

"Then shut up," Dove growled as she stood. 'They took what's mine.' The possessive thought echoed through Dove's mind, becoming an anchor for her other chaotic thoughts to gather around. It felt like she couldn't think of anything but her growing rage as her mind steadily slipped from Dove to Dovahkiin.

She relished the change, the anger it generated soothed her fear like a black promise. That sounded too dark even in her own head. Taking a deep breath, Dove held it like she was trying to smother a flame in her throat.

Tabitha watched as the woman she loved snapped at their friend. She was being rather harsh, there was some anger warranted but there was no reason for her to growl that at Kirche.

"We need to find her," Dove continued as the majority of her rational mind returned, "Where did they go?"

"They left the note," Kirche said, holding up the paper with the Brotherhood mark. "There's something on the other side." Dove glared balefully at the paper for a moment before snatching it out of her hands.

"'Dear Dragon-bitch," She started reading the letter aloud, "We're expecting you at Ysgramor's Tomb. Come as soon as you can, we won't be waiting long.' Great, I know where that is."

"We're going after them?" Tabitha asked for clarification.

"Of course," Dove replied, clenching her hands around the note like it was one of their throats, "I'm going after them, you guys can come we me if you want to." 'Louise is mine, after all.'

Marching towards the door, Dove suddenly turned around and added. "Tabitha, Kirche, we need to get some armor. Beaver, you can come if you want, I don't care right now." Tabitha and Kirche instantly followed her while Biever looked a little lost.

"Well? You going to follow them?" Urag asked. He had a feeling they had forgotten he was there.

The Falman jumped a bit before turning back the the Orsimer. "I don't know," Biever responded, "They're going into battle and need to have people they trust there. On one hand, I would be in their way because of that, on the other, I do have skills to give if they'll have me."

"Sounds to me like you should go," Urag gave his blunt opinion, "The Dark Brotherhood aren't pushovers."

"They're really that strong?" Biever asked. "Assassins usually aren't made for a full on fight. They're more 'ambush someone alone' kind of fighter, right?"

"The Dark Brotherhood is strong enough," Urag said unhappily, "and where they've 'invited' the Dragonborn to, Ysgramor's Tomb, it's a dark place full of hiding spots perfect for an assassin. Probably why they chose it."

Biever frowned as he considered. He did need to keep an eye on Dove, and watching her fight could be a good thing, but would he actually be able to keep watch on her and protect himself in a place like the Orsimer was describing. If he came but hung back to watch then he would only be a hindrance to Louise's rescue.

On the other hand, if he came and actually tried to be helpful, he most likely wouldn't be able to observe the Baroness like he was supposed to.

"You're going to have to make a decision soon," Urag interrupted Biever's thoughts, "Unless I'm mistaken, the Arch-mage doesn't keep a lot of extra armor or weapons here so she's going to make some. You need to hurry unless you want to go without protection."

"It'd take weeks to make a full set of armor," Biever said, confused.

"Not if she uses the Atronach Forge," Urag responded, giving the Priest an evaluating look.

Biever could almost see the can of worms his question would bring. "Atronach Forge?"

* * *

"AH-HA!" Dove cheered, a moment of glee in her anger, as she pulled something out of a chest in her room. After leaving the Arcanium she had made a beeline for the Arch-mage's quarters. From there she had gone instantly for the chest at the end of her bed.

"Take this," Dove said, handing one reed basket to Tabitha and another to Kirche. Inside the baskets were a collection of black metal ingots, small bags of black powder, large faintly glowing crystals, and a fist sized fleshy thing that Kirche prayed wasn't what she thought it was.

"What do these do?" Tabitha asked.

"I have a set of good armor here for me, but I don't have enough extra for you two on hand and don't have the time to make it the old fashion way," Dove answered brusquely, "So we're going to summon a set or two from the Atronach Forge."

Tabitha took that strange explanation in stride. It made sense for everyone to have armor since they were going into tight quarters even if she wasn't used to wearing any. Kirche, on the other hand, didn't even hear what Dove had said. The red head was still staring at the basket in her hands.

"Yes those are hearts," Dove said noticing the stare Kirche was giving the literal pile of hearts in her basket.

Kirche felt faint, the world tilted around her for a moment before Dove reached out and straightened her. "Hey, HEY! Don't fall over on me," the Dragonborn admonished the redhead.

"Why do you have ha-hearts, next to your bed?" she asked faintly.

"Why not?" Dove was genuinely confused. Most of what she kept in here was rare and valuable, why wouldn't she keep it as close to herself as possible?

Kirche still looked green, but Dove ignored that. "Come on," she ordered, already moving. "We need to get to the Forge." Tabitha hooked an arm around the now-sickly christmas-themed woman's waist and pulled her along.

-[]-

Biever ran into the three women at the base of the stairs, confusion on his face. It, for one odd moment, looked like they were going on a short picnic trip. At least until he looked in the baskets. "Are those, ah, hearts?" he asked, stomach twisting unpleasantly.

"Yes," Dove answered shortly, "We're going to make some armor, you coming?" She didn't know where he stood on the whole coming or not thing yet.

"Of course," Biever said emphatically, belying his previous uncertainty. "It would be a stain on my honor if I didn't come along to help you save her."

Dove rolled her eyes at the proud words. "Whatever," she verbalised her feelings in the most succinct of manors as she pulled open the front doors of the school. A thought then occurred to her and as she walked she tilted her head back and asked, "Are you afraid of spiders?"

"No," Biever answered, surprised by the turn in the conversation. The group moved quickly through the courtyard and to a tower on the opposite side of the hall of Attainment.

"Good, the forge is in the Miden and it's crawling with the monsters," Dove explained, pulling open the next set of doors into the hall. Biever frowned as he noted that Dove might be arachnophobic.

Inside the tower, the room they entered was a near replica of the hall that the majority of them had slept in. More people walked around in here, but the air was very solemn, like there were weighty things being discussed.

Dove moved towards a balding man. "Phinis," she spoke with an authoritative tone, "I need the sigil stone."

The Breton took one look at the Dragonborn's face and immediately darted off towards his room.

"Sigil Stone?" Tabitha asked.

"Phinis and I were working together to find a missing part of the Atronach forge," Dove explained, "I don't have the skill needed in Conjuration to summon an unbound Dremora to get it, so I brought Phinis in."

"And this 'Sigil Stone' thing is what was missing," Biever figured out the rest easily enough, though the 'unbound Dremora' thing he needed, and probably never would receive, clarification on.

"Ya," Dove confirmed as Phinis returned holding a large ruby-black colored stone. "Thank you," Dove acknowledged as she took the stone from the man. Moving towards the stairs leading up, Dove instead walked to a small trap door in the floor under the stairs.

The others doggedly followed her until Biever felt a tug on his robe. Looking down he found Talen tugging on him. "What is it?" he asked, concerned. Talen whined like he was in pain and looked pointedly at the trap door.

"I think he can smell the spiders down there," Dove guessed, looking that the frightened dog, "I found that they're not 'normal' by Tristain standards."

"What do you mean?" Biever frowned as the confusion from earlier reappeared. "Not normal?"

"You'll see once we cross one of their corpses," Dove assured him, "I left the bodies laying around after I took everything of value off them." Standard adventuring procedure and all that.

Someone whined at that, and it wasn't Talen.

Pulling the cover open, the elf led the way into the underside of the college. Behind her, Tabitha went in without a complaint. Kirche took a breath to fortify herself, she needed to go, it was her fault that Louise had been taken after all.

Biever looked down once more between his familiar and the hole before gently pulling his robe out of Talen's mouth. "I'll be back in a moment," he assured his loyal companion, then followed.

Talen whimpered as his human vanished from sight into the dark, smelly hole. Laying down on his stomach, the smart dog waited for whatever would come back out.

-[]-

"These aren't spiders," Biever deadpanned. The 'spider' was bigger than Talen.

"Yes they are, and only baby ones at that," Dove argued back childishly. The Midden under the College of Winterhold was a mix of dark green moss covering man made tunnels, black natural stone ones, white ice, snow coated paths, and biting cold that had even Dove grumbling about her chosen dress.

"I really don't think of the tiny things in Tristain as spiders," she continued, stepping over a detached leg before continuing, "The things we're passing by are called 'Frostbite Spiders' and they're the most common kind of spider I've ever come across here." Granted, she mentally admitted, that was because of how often she dug her way through old tombs where the average spider got eaten as a snack, but she mentally digressed.

"Does that mean that Skyrim isn't normal, or just you?" Biever asked, smirking to cover his nerves.

Dove looked at the Falman askance, the anger and offence waring in her head before she caught the tension under the words. Surprisingly, a giggle of all things then escaped her. His joke somehow cut through the rage and hurt she was feeling. He was joking with her, she must be rubbing off on him.

"Whichever~," she responded, smiling, however a thoughtful frown pulled at her lips a moment later. She felt odd now that she realized that she was smiling, usually her emotions stuck around a bit longer than half an hour. She was the kind to hold a grudge, but now she seemed to be bouncing between rage and giggles like a clam between Horkers.

Stepping over a small pile of glowing blue ice that used to be an ice wraith, Dove put the thought out of her mind and led the way down and to the left. Down the stairs into a snow filled room, there was no opening in the ceiling but the ground was coated in the stuff. The rest of the room was filled with support pillars with an exit to the right.

The entire party was soon shivering as the surprisingly deep snow went up the their calfs and down into their shoes. "How much further?" Biever asked, "I hate it down here."

"Quit being a baby, its only fifty meters from here," Dove answered, stepping onto a spot without snow, "Just around this corner and down another flight of stairs."

"I'm not being a baby," Biever grumbled, prompting a laugh from Kirche. "I just don't like it down here. I'm getting a feeling like something's about to jump out and eat me." Like a spider the size of a pony.

"Just be glad we don't have to visit the Midden Dark," Dove responded as they entered the room she was looking for, "That place is even worse. I haven't cleared it out yet."

No one wanted to know more after that.

-[]-

The room with the 'forge' was large. The other rooms they had gone through down here were just as big in length and width, but this room was unique in the fact that it was also tall. Nothing felt like it was pressing down on them here. The room design was also unique, like two upright cylinders that had been pressed together.

The first cylinder-like space they entered had a small workbench stationed to one side and was festoon with ruined tools and small piles of rubble with the occasional bone here and there. The moss-covered cobblestone all around them gave the feel of something long abandoned despite the light coming from the second space.

The second cylinder was almost completely filled by a large alter. Candles, too numerous to count easily, surrounded a perfect circle with the sign of Oblivion etched in the center. Small stairs on both sides led up onto the altar. The most eye catching thing, though, was the small basin in front with a pile of coals, a small metal box with pump lever, empty stand, and freakishly large skull of some kind of multi horned three eyed creature at least the size of Kirche's entire chest.

"Here we are," Dove informed the others. Moving closer, Dove deposited the Sigil Stone in the stand behind the skull.

"Did someone come here before us?" Biever asked in confusion, looking at the candles and coals. There was no evidence of old coals being removed, no pile of new coals ready to be added, or even moss touching the stone. Someone had to have cleaned the place.

"Nope," Dove didn't look at him as she answered, opening the small metal box. "The fire just doesn't go out."

"Okay, Tabitha," Dove started as if she hadn't said anything unusual, "I need you to put one daedra heart, ingot, void salt, and soul gem in here, then pull the lever."

Tabitha moved forwards to do that. "I'm unfamiliar with what this this is supposed to do," Biever interrupted. Tabitha ignored him while Dove sighed before turning to answer.

"What? Don't have gates into Oblivion back in Tristain? I'm shocked," Dove deadpanned, her temper was still in check since they were working towards getting her Louise back but the humor from earlier had faded and she bounced back to angry again.

"No, we don't," Biever answered back. Back in the library, Urag hadn't said what the atronach forge was, just that Dove had a way to get armor quickly hidden under the college. "What is a gate into 'oblivion'?" he asked, hoping to figure out just what the Orc had apparently decided not to say.

"Well," Dove started, "It's a way to get into Oblivion, a realm that make up the rest of the planes of existence apart from the mortal plane of Mundus. The term is used collectively to describe basically everywhere else." He needed some basics before she could launch into her theories about the forge.

"No one knows just what this thing is," she continued, "Some say that it was something the Dwemer used to get into and out of the realms of the Daedrics, but in truth we don't know for sure."

"I call it a 'gate' because it appears to be able to do the same thing as the 'Gates of Oblivion' did on a smaller scale during a crisis about 200 years ago," Dove said before finishing up, "A Daedric Prince tried to physically invade Mundus through standing stones that looked just like the symbol carved into the center. I use it to get some of the best armor in existence quickly."

Biever's mind felt like it was pulling itself apart. Gods and demons, or some kind of equivalent, interacting with mortals, Primordial beings ordering the kidnappings of Tristainian nobility, and now a portal to the realm of who knows where is to be used as a shopping-cum-stealing cart.

A look of shock, borderline horror, appeared on his face at the thought of this intruding on a god's realm. "Dear lord, does this land have no respect for their god?" he asked, trying to reconcile years of religious respect and sanctity with these events.

"Yes we do," Dove barked angrily, "We have churches and shrines all across the Empire, people follow their gods and leaders without ever seeing them. We love our Aedra."

"Then why didn't they stop this Sithis from kidnapping Louise?" Biever asked rhetorically, "On top of that, why didn't they stop that Daedric two hundred years ago from causing a crisis?"

Dove saw red. "The godhead around here is a lot more in flux then back in your quiet, bland realm," she snarled, feeling the anger burn in her. "Here, the Aedra drained themselves building our realm and bringing everything to life, leaving us open for the Daedric princess to interact with us directly while they are too 'weak' to stop them."

"To protect us, they find mortals and entrust them with tasks to take physical actions to protect everyone," Dove explained. "In the Crisis, it was the Hero of Kvatch, Morrowind had the Nerevarine, here it was me. Daedra can be called in to interact in the mortal realm in such a way that the Aedra just can't."

Biever looked taken aback by her rant, his hands up in surrender but Dove wasn't got to let him off easily. Tabitha was done adding her things to the box, she turned to watch the display.

"We love our chosen Aedra," Dove stated, wrapping it up. "We cary pendants with their signs on them, we build shrines in our homes and attend rituals for them on top of it all so if you want to bad mouth any of them then take a long walk off a thin cliff!"

Dove's face was red from yelling and everyone was looking at her like she had lost her mind.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you," Biever had the decency to apologize, it honestly hadn't occurred to him that the people of Skyrim could love their Aedra as much as, if not more so, than he loved the church of Brimir.

Deep down he had thought of the natives of Nirn as living half lives, not able to be truly happy like he was without the presence of his church in their lives. It was why he had wanted to bring them Brimir's teachings so much, the church had lifted him up and accepted him when his father had threw him out. The church had made him feel loved, he wanted everyone to feel that love.

Everyone except for elves, they were damned already.

Except, here was an elf woman shouting in rage over a slight against her gods. She loved, and felt loved by, these Aedra like he did with his fellow priests of Brimir. It contradicted what he knew about her kind.

'Was it because she's a mer not an elf? Maybe God could love mer and not elves.' The justification helped settle his mind, if she wasn't an elf then she could be loved by a god. 'Or god love elves just as much as man and the church is wrong.' Another part of his mind argued back bringing the confusion right back.

Dove turned back to the object that had started the uncomfortable conversation. "Pull the switch," she told Tabitha as she cooled off.

Tabitha did. Purple smoke large instantly rushing from the ground, rising and twisting in the air as if pulled out of the ground by a tornado. Instead of flowing straight up and out the opening in the roof, it coiled into a ball about five feet off the ground. The condensed smoke began to darken and a sound like a vibrating bow string filled the air.

Then everything stopped, one second the noise had risen to an ear tingling thrum and the next it vanished as if it hadn't ever existed while the smoke seemed to vanish into the air. A loud CLANK then sounded as something that had been within the smoke dropped onto the ground.

Tabitha looked up and gaped, in the center of the circle was a pair of black boots like the ones Dove's housecarls had been wearing.

Stepping forwards, Dove snatched up the boots and checked them over. "Daedric boots of Brawn," she called out walking over and placing the demonic footwear to the side. "Nice. Do it again until you've got a full set of armor."

"So it gives you armor from Oblivion," Biever flinched when Dove turned her attention back on him. "We got a little off topic and didn't address my question," he reminded her. "This thing basically takes armor from wherever this leads in exchange for the things you put in the box right."

"Basically," Dove agreed with a calming sigh, "Different things given to the box give you different possible things in return." Smirking she added, "It's the quickest way to get strong and enchanted armor."

Biever nodded as it made sense to him. "Fine, how quickly can we have everything ready?" he asked trying to be helpful.

"The process is quick but inaccurate," Dove said as Tabitha finished loading in the same set of ingredients. "There's no guarantee that you're going to get anything but the same item over and over so I made sure to get a huge stockpile of the ingredients just in case."

Tabitha pumped the switch again.

-[]-

It took almost twenty minutes, but by the end of it Tabitha, Kirche, and Biever were outfitted with a full set of enchanted armor. It was all mismatched enchantments, but it was better than nothing.

Biever was wearing Gauntlets of Peerless Alchemy, Armor of Peerless Alteration, Helmet of Peerless Archery, and Boots of the Mammoth. Tabitha was a little better with Armor of Eminent Destruction, Helmet of Peerless Restoration, Boots of Brawn, and Gauntlets of Peerless Archery. Lastly, Kirche was outfitted with Armor of Peerless Conjuring, Helmet of Extreme Illusion, Boots of the Ox, and Gauntlets of Peerless Wielding.

"Alright," Dove said, having snatched up a random shield of Peerless Blocking, "I'd hoped for more raw magicka related things but this will have to do. I'll go grab my set. Meet up back at the foot of the bridge leading into the College." With that, Dove turned back the way they had come and was gone.

For a moment, quiet filled the room, then Biever turned to the others who were getting dressed. "Do either of you remember how we got here?" The poor Falman had unfortunately forgotten the path back.

-[]-

"What took you so long?" Dove growled at the three armored figures. She had gone back to her rooms, gotten into her armor, and made it down to the bridge to wait for over fifteen minutes before she spotted the others arriving.

Thankfully it had given her time to get rid of the guards investigating the disturbance. Thane-dome for the win!

"We got lost," Kirche answered for them, "You need a map to get out of there."

Dove snorted but didn't argue that. She had gotten lost the first time, she hadn't even meant to go down into the midden or the dark midden at all, she had been looking for the restroom.

"Alright, the Dark Brotherhood is this way," Dove started them off. In the end, she was thankful for the time to calm herself. The incessant red at the corners of her vision had finally let up enough for her to think straight.

'I should probably apologize for blowing up on Biever,' she thought, suddenly feeling a bit guilty about exploding on him, even if he deserved it. As she led the way down the rocky mountain side and turned in place to just that.

"Whatever you want, it can wait," Biever spoke before she could. He was irritated by the mini adventure to get out of the midden, and the confusion over elf vs mer. Men shouldn't get lost.

Dove was caught flat footed. For a moment she paused, then an enraged expression overcame her expression. Biever couldn't see it under her helmet, but Dove was snarling, no longer caring about her mood swinging. 'FINE!' she mentally decided, 'I won't apologize you ass!'

Turning back towards the path, Dove stalked resolutely down the mountain, having lost all of her previous calm.

* * *

 **So, Dove's having mood swings ;).**

 **On a more serious note, I've been doing some thinking and would like to know what you opinion might be.**

 **I'm considering putting my story on hiatus.**

 **It would let me go back to fix grammar, other story errors, and stock up on future chapters.**

 **On the other hand, I don't want to leave this story for that long, it would most likely take months with my writing pace and I feel that I would have issues picking it up again later if I did.**

 **So what do you think? One second I know that I just won't because it's too difficult and the next I'm thinkin** **g that I will because I'm unsure of my quality.**

 **I'm too conflicted to make a proper decision so I would love to hear what you think.**

 **Now that I write that down, it sounds like I might be having mood swings :/**


	76. Sarcophagus tea time & into the grave!

**I own my mind but not the titles that spawned this story idea, Skyrim and Familiar of Zero!**

* * *

 **To everyone about Hiatus:**

 **The vast majority of you apparently don't want me to go on Hiatus. That honestly makes me feel good that no one thinks I need to overhaul part of the story despite my fears.**

 **Instead, people have suggested that I rework a chapter here and there between writing my next chapter. This sounds like a good idea and I would like to give it a try.**

 **I ask all of you this one question: What chapters do you want to see more editing on?**

 **All chapters** **suggested** **will have work done on them.**

 **It might take a bit of time but they will be worked on. Please tell me what what chapters didn't sit well with you, what was wrong with them in your opinion will also help.**

* * *

 **Now on to other review not about the Hiatus, sorry if I don't get your review in.**

 **RedBurningDragon: There was a bit of discussion about wither or not I needed to go in depth about the armors, but I'm glad you enjoyed it. By Whis and Bulma do you mean the whole 'pull baby out' thing?**

 **headreviewer mk2: The dark Brotherhood is in hot water but Sithis might not, he is a primordial after all.**

 **slayst: I think it's the possessive side of her, 'Louise is mine!' kind of thinking.**

 **BlitzkriegHOSS: I don't think three feet would be enough, you'd only be able to finish opening the drink by then.**

 **king Quinn The Last Heir: Don't know why, but your review made me imagine Julio and Elenwen sitting down and trying to out 'my philosophy is better then yours' at each other.**

 **RedLightningD608: Roll for fortitude saving throw!**

 **Druid-34: I think it effects ease of 's just my (omnipotent in here) opinion, but I think that Kirche would find spells that use magicka for conjuration and illusion easyer. I've tried describing what it feels like to use Destruction magicka, the sensation of magic moving through their bodies with the intent of casting fire, ice, and lightning, but what I think what the enchantments do is run a bit of magicka along the 'lines' that you use for casting your magicka for illusions. Sort of 'prime' the body for the spells so to speak. For physical enchantments it more causes that one part to get more oxygen and recover faster by adding a bit of healing magicka. It won't give you skills directly but it will 'prime the pump' so to speak to make things easier.**

 **dreaddragonknight: If I remember correctly it was more of possession by Akatosh to kick Dagon's ass.**

 **Mathew5641: The Brotherhood might be at an end. They might have if Dove asked. Sheo is busy little mortal, he found a new game in another world called minecraft and can't come to the phone right now, please leave a message after the scream.**

 **Me Myself and I: Your review was a deciding factor on what happens next, but which part? Food for thought.**

 **Guest: Here it is.**

 **The Distorted Shadow: I want them to see one as well, it'd be fun~.**

 **Pokelover619: I'm glad you noticed the changing personalities. I decided to start altering things after I watched the episode where Sito and Louise went to her home, it was just jaw dropping in my opinion that her eldest sister could grab and pinch her cheek that much. I know it's exaggerated since it's an anime, but it happened too much and was seen as far too normal for me to be comfortable with. After that I thought 'what else can I change?'**

 **Mephiles666: I think the Mer refer to themselves as "I'm a alt/oris/bos/dun/Mer," with elf being a more 'slang' term, at least that's how it appear to be to me. Yup she is pregnant.**

 **Carre: You're welcome. Dove's mood swings were fun to write, can't wait to start writing about the strange cravings next :P.**

 **Hell Fire: Is that a story you wrote or know about on the site? It does sound interesting.**

 **Wolfay: I will. Please leave your next review on the correct story, it will mean so much more to have an update on Nidame then here.**

* * *

 **Beta'd by evevee**

* * *

"I have a question."

Dove glanced back at the red head who had spoken to her. She was leading the group down the snow covered cliff face and was nearly at the bottom.

"Ask away then," she said by way of permission. They were low enough that even if one of them fell the rest of the way from lack of care, they wouldn't die.

"What exactly is this 'Black Brotherhood' and why is it after you? Why did they take Louise?" Kirche asked. Dove hadn't shared that information with her but Tabitha and Biever seemed to know it. Some part of her wondered if that was Dove's way of getting back at her for her actions earlyer.

Thankfully it wasn't, Dove had just forgotten to explain. "The Dark Brotherhood is an old guild of assassins who worship Sithis, an even older being also known as 'the Void'," Dove started her lesson with something she knew would get their attention. Kirche shivered at the thought of them going after servants of 'the void'. It felt heretical for some reason, despite this being Skyrim's 'void' and not Brimir's equivalent.

"People here perform an obscene ritual that sends their assassination request to his chosen mouthpiece who then gives the information to the rest of the Brotherhood. From there, the leader sends out someone to do what was asked."

Dove shook her head, "For about a thousand years, the Brotherhood has operated like this. Sithis had taken a step back from Nirn since he's an Aurbis and let the guild be led by his 'wife', the Night Mother."

"What's an Aurbis?" Kirche interrupted for clarification.

"Primordial being," Dove answered quickly.

"Ah."

"Finally getting to modern day," Dove continued, blandly losing herself in memory, "A certain beautiful woman ended up crossing paths with the leader of the Dark Brotherhood and had a disagreement with her." Kirche had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. "The leader, a woman named Astrid, had kidnapped three random individuals and the sexy but humble woman. She took them to a hut in the middle of nowhere and ordered the woman to kill one of them as a test."

Tabitha completely agreed with Dove's self descriptions, even if it brought a small amused smile to her face.

"Said woman decided that she wasn't going to play the game and instead whipped out her bow and shot the leader. Caught off guard, Astrid took an arrow to the kne- neck, and died instantly. Everyone else made it out of the hut alive."

Despite living in Skyrim most of her adult life Dove shivered in memory, she nearly froze to death getting out of that swampy tributary. "I however, knew I wouldn't be left alone by the rest of the guild once they learned about what I had done, so I hunted them down instead," she said, giving up on the third person speak.

"Sounds like you went looking for a fight," Biever commented idly. He might not have been paying that much attention, only hearing the occasional sentence while he was too lost in his own thoughts, but that last sentence sounded wrong even to him.

"No, I went looking for preemptive protection," she argued back. Finally, they stepped onto the shore far below the College. "Hey look, Festus Krex," Dove said off topic having spotted and recognizing a pile of black ropes and burnt flesh.

The old man was a crumpled mass on the ground. Only half of his face was distinguishable while the rest of him was a broken mess. Kirche sucked in a breath at the carnage her fire and the fall had taken on the old man, seeing him fall had been one thing but seeing him at the bottom was something else.

"Sucks to be him," Dove said, calmly moving towards the body, "Think he has anything useful?" Not waiting for a response, she moved over and started rummaging through the man's pockets. Victor's spoils and all that.

Biever frowned but held his tongue, it wasn't his land and digging through the pockets of the dead could just be what you did to a dead man. He wasn't going to gainsay her now.

While Dove was digging through the man's ruined packs, Kirche prompted more answers while looking away, "Can, can we please keep talking about the dark brotherhood? I don't even want to think about this… thing."

"Sure, sure," Dove said carelessly, checking the knife at the corpse's waist. "So, where was I?" she thought out loud, "Ah, preemptive protection. There isn't much to tell at first, I hunted down the nearest guard who told me that the leader of the Penitus Oculatus, an order that made up the Emperor's own intelligence officers and bodyguards,was looking into the guild."

"They had been suffering for years, the Dark Brotherhood was on the verge of being destroyed by the Empire. The Penitus Oculatus was getting closer and closer to completely destroying their sanctuaries. Commander Maro was sure that the last one was here in Skyrim and that once it fell, so would the Brotherhood."

The man was an opportunist in Dove's opinion. Given her reputation and skill he had been all too happy to let her do all the work while his men stayed safe back at Dragon's Bridge.

"He gave me the information on where to find the rest of the Brotherhood and ordered me to sneak into the sanctuary and kill everyone that I came across," Dove finally finished her narrative and looting the body. Festus had a lot of hidden pockets that had burst from the fall.

"An interesting story," Biever commented, paying slightly more attention now that he had properly pondered, not brooded thank you, on his confusing thoughts. "What did you do that got the attention of the Dark Brotherhood's leader in the first place?" he asked curious.

"I beat an old woman who was the owner of an orphanage to death," Dove answered, standing up. A short laugh escaped her mouth as she saw the shocked look Biever gave her. "She was, in all honesty and put as politely as I can, a real bitch. No one even cared that I did it except the Dark Brotherhood because I was, 'stealing their contract'."

That didn't seem to make it better.

* * *

"-est you brought her. Mother will be so pleased with us!" the high effeminate voice stabbed at Louise's head as it pulled her out of the dark and quiet place her mind had been resting in.

"Is that all you care about?" a deep voice shot back, "Festus is gone. We're down to four members, how can we defeat the Dragonborn now?"

"Simple," the effeminate voice answered, "You once were a companion right? Doesn't this place contain the spirits of your former allies? Sithis could raise a few of them to bolster our numbers." A pause before the voice continued, "Why did you bring those necromancers if you're so sure of defeat?"

"I don't think Hectine would let Sithis just use some of his prised souls," Deep voice answered, "and I brought them because I thought that we'd have Festus here to organize them together and wake the bodies entombed here."

"Sithis can make the dead rise for us," Effeminate answered smuggly, "The hunter can't do anything to stop him. We didn't need them."

"I doubt that," Deep growled.

Risking discovery, Louise opened an eye and peeked around. She was in a large, dark, and vaguely rectangular room. The walls, floors, and ceiling were all rough hewn rock with raised sections around the outside and an indent in the center. In the middle of it all was a tall basin that glowed with blue fire.

She lay on the floor near a large stone box the size of an elaborate sarcophagus, and had a sneaking suspicion that was exactly what it was.

"FOOL! SITHIS CAN DO ANYTHING!" the Effeminate voice shouted and Louise glanced over towards them.

A man in black and red jester clothes had one hand in the air and was waving it wildly at a man with long white hair and a thick beard while the other one was petting a large standing stone coffin. "He hasn't before," the white haired man growled, revealing him to be the deep voice.

"In fact, I can't think of any time Sithis has done anything for us apart from give the Night Mother contracts," the man spat bitterly, "That's why I spent so long getting Malyn's followers to come here, but now, I don't think they can work together long enough to bring a fire to life let along the chosen companions of Ysgramor."

"Not if Sithis leads them~"

Louise was now officially frightened. Most people would be frightened by waking up in a situation like this, or by being kidnapped in the first place, but that ship for her had quite literally sailed with Wardes. Dead rising on the other hand was something to fear.

"And with that, we should probably introduce our guest to Mother."

Then again, there's always something scary about being kidnapped.

Hands, small like a childs but strong as steel and almost as cold, grabbed her by her hair and jerked hard. "Eii- let go!" Louise demanded as she was jerked around like a fish on a hook.

"It's not nice to listen to private conversations little girl," a little girl's voice chastised her. Turning around, as much as she could, the pink haired girl glared at the person who held her. The same 'little girl' that had turned into the thing that had attacked Kirche.

"Who are you? Where am I? Why did you kidnap me?" Louise shot off in rapid succession. To which Babette gave her a short smirk and jerked her around again.

"This way," the red themed girl said before walking towards the others, dragging Louise all the way.

"I still can't believe you brought the entire casket here Cicero," the white haired man grumbled, eyeing the effeminate one.

"I never leave Mother for too long," Cicero purred, rubbing his hand lovingly along a swirl on said casket's side, "I needed to oil her this morning so that she'd be ready for the girl, after all."

'...That's just wrong,' collectively thought all who witnessed him.

"Speaking of~" Cicero looked at the two girls. Babette came closer, pulling Louise right up to the casket. "We should introduce the two."

Grabbing the seam in the center, Cicero opened the door. Louise shuddered as she caught a glimpse of a dried out corpse. Turning back to the Tristinaian mage, Cicero grabbed her by the scalp and dragged Louise forwards until she was face to face with said corpse.

Louise screamed as she was pushed towards the dried out body, the guy holding her head had pushed her almost close enough to kiss it's chest.

"Shut up!" Cicero demanded as he tried to push her the rest of the way into the casket. "She wants to talk to you."

Louise braced against the sides and managed to push back against Cicero for a full three seconds before he got fed up with her punched her in the side, hard enough to cause her to lose her breath and finish pushing her in. Jerking back, Louise tried to step back only for the door to the casket to get slammed shut on her.

It was dark in the casket, and it smelled like oil and musk. Louise felt sick, but thankfully there was enough space between her and the body so that she wasn't pressed against its body. "LET ME OUT!" she shouted, twisting around and trying to punch open the door.

"There is no need to shout," a weathered old voice came from right behind her. Louse froze mid strike. She now noticed a dim light that filled the space. It nearly wasn't there, but at the same time somehow illuminated the small space, and it was coming from behind her.

"Turn around child. I wish to see you."

* * *

"So, this is it?" Biever frowned, taking in the enemy's 'den'. The tomb wasn't impressive in his eyes, a large domed structure with a large hole at the top sandwiched between a cliff face and an icy water front. There were no visible guards standing watch but there also was only one way in.

"Yup." Dove started looking up towards the entryway, "There's no way forwards except through here."

"Great."

Striding forwards, Dove hopped up onto the rim to get another look. "No one's here. Get ready, we're going inside."

"Right," all mages prepped their wands and Biever created a sword to supplement his attack style. Dove reached to her waist with her right hand and 'drew' a one handed sword from thin air while lightning clicked around the fingers on her other hand.

Going down the steps, Dove marched over to the intricately carved door and pushed it open.

-[]-

The first room was just as Dove remembered it, a twenty foot round circle with the proud statue of Ysgramor in the center holding his most iconic weapon. She wasn't a double axe kind of gal so she had left his weapon of choice cradled in his arms.

Now that she thought of it, she should have taken Wuuthrad with her for safety's sake if nothing else. No one could have gotten in otherwise.

'Shortcut is closed,' Dove noted, looking over at the wall where the secret shortcut to Ysgramor's personal tomb was located. Someone had shut the entrance making it so that they needed to go the long way through the tomb.

Kirche shivered as she looked around the room. The faces in the walls, statue, and grand pillars clashed with the rough stonework and almost natural look to the walls and floor. "Are you sure this place won't collapse on top of us?" she asked the only person to have been here before.

"It should be fine," Dove replied, looking at the roots that had crawled their way through the stones, "but I'm not going to be using my more destructive shouts. This place is a few thousand years old after all. I suggest you do the same."

"Got it."

Surprisingly, Tabitha was the next to speak. "Are there ghosts?" she asked looking around.

"...I killed all the ghosts the first time I was here, so I don't think so," Dove answered, raising an eyebrow behind her helm, "Are you afraid of ghosts Tabby?"

Tabitha looked straight at Dove's face mask and nodded defiantly.

"Like I said, I killed every ghost," Dove repeated, moving forwards to put an hand on her lover's shoulder. "Most ghosts come back to fulfill an oath and will return to where they came from once the oath is fulfilled or they're killed again, which is what I've already done."

"No chance?" Tabitha asked hopefully.

"Even if the Dark Brotherhood found time to bring in a whole class worth of necromancers, the best thing they could do is raise a few draugr."

Something felt wrong with that sentence, and everyone but Dove could feel it. "Draugr?" Kirche could taste the deja vu this question brought.

"Ancient Nords, who's dried out and well armed bodies rest in the sarcophagi we'll inevitably pass by down here. They sometimes come out to kill trespassers who disturb their rest."

Looking at her body language, no one could tell if Dove was taking some kind of sick pleasure out of dropping phrases like that one on them or if she somehow was unaware of how out of left field that sounded to them. "Gee, that makes me feel a whole lot better," Kirche said sarcastically.

"It should since Draugr don't inhabit the same tombs that ghosts did," Dove argued before extrapolating, "No ghosts now. Draugr only if a necromancer shows up. Kirche killed the Dark Brotherhood's only dedicated magicka user so that isn't likely, so we should only have four people to fight. This should be a piece of sweet roll."

Tabitha let out a slow breath, bodies weren't nearly as scary as ghosts. "I am relieved," she informed Dove for clarity's sake, surprising others in the group.

"Good," Dove said, "Watch for bends in the path and blind corners. I also don't think anyone in the Brotherhood is a good enough archer to be effective down here so we don't have to worry about long corridors."

With her orders given, Dove led the way down into the tomb.

* * *

"Oh, you're so adorable," the wizened old voice said in Louise's ear. The light seemed to be playing tricks on her, for a moment the dried out visage of whoever's corpse was in here with her seemed to vanish, and in its place was a smiling young woman.

The woman was of medium height, thinly muscled and looked both wise and mischievous like someone who knew almost everything and found joy in holding it over someone. Her skin was deep gray and she had a narrow face, pointed ears identified her as a Dunmer.

The illusion smiled at the terrified child, a reminiscing look on her face. "You remind me of my eldest daughter, minus the ears and skin of course," she mused out loud with a far away look in her eye, "Just like them, my husband wants to talk to you."

"Who, are you?" Louise was feeling a bit braver now that the body looked different.

"I am The Night Mother," the woman answered, lifting a hand to gently rub the child's cheek. Louise felt a bone deep chill wherever that hand went, turning what should have been a calming and loving motion into something that nearly made her wet herself.

"I am the wife of the Void," The Night Mother, continued causing a confused look to appear on Louise's face. "And my husband, Sithis wants to meet with you."

Louise could feel the last bit of her faith in Brimir shrivel and rot. 'A wife of the void?' the title echoed around her head like a dying cry that held her complete attention as the woman reached for her shoulder.

"Come, he's this way," The Night Mother said turning and guiding Louise along. Somehow there wasn't a back to the casket anymore, it had turned into a long dark tunnel. Louise wanted to turn back, but the cold vise that was the Night Mother's fingers stopped her.

"Come on, don't be shy," Night Mother crooned softly as they moved down the tunnel. There was almost no light, only a vague glow that came from the Night Mother herself gave Louise enough sight to see where she was putting her foot.

They didn't have to travel far, after what felt like five minutes walking she could see something in the distance. Red light, kind of like the light given off by the lava back in the tunnels under the academy of magic, came from ahead.

It was kind of startling for Louise to see something that looked warm after so long in this cold dark place.

"Oh, honey buns has a guest," The Night Mother said cheerfully, "He never uses the magma orange lights unless a guest is there."

Louise just felt more lost as they moved closer. 'Honey buns?'

* * *

Thankfully the first room past the entrance was empty. Dove had gone through the entire tomb with a fine toothed comb the first time she had been there and hadn't left anything of value behind.

And there wasn't anyone to attack them either so that was a plus.

They had traveled through an almost natural looking, root overgrown tunnel that led down and to the left. Kirche had shivered as they passed their first coffin, that had amused Dove for a moment before moving on.

This led them to the first room, a large hall filled with sarcophagi placed around the room like the inhabitants were at court. They stood at the top of a flight of stairs at the entryway for a moment before Dove led the way towards a side door on the left hand wall.

"Hey Dove," Biever called out bringing attention to him.

"Ya?" Dove asked.

"Are these sarcophagi supposed to be empty?"

Dove honestly couldn't remember. She had seen ghosts leaving the large stone sarcophagi when she had cleared out this place, but did they leave through the lid or open it? She couldn't remember.

"I thinks so?" Dove answered, still questioning herself.

-[]-

With that uncomfortable note out of the way, Dove led the group on. The pathway out of the room led further down and into another open area.

This room, however, brought a shudder to even Dove. The room was long and narrow compared to the first room. The one they had come through was set up vaguely like a hall some jarl would reign in, this room was a true tomb with an open area in the center and small room sized cubicles and pedestals built around the sides to hold the sarcophagi. The room was rough, moss covered stone like before, but there were old wooden walls and rotting supports half obscuring the other side of the room.

More important then the stone, wood, or even the placement of sarcophagi, was the flooded lowered floor section that was filled with ankle deep water and almost waist high with corpses.

"That just isn't right," Dove said, deeply disturbed. Bodies in nordic tombs were treated with some level of respect and care, especially members of the original companions of Ysgramor. This room had looked nothing like this the first time she was here, someone must have moved them recently.

"Welcome, dragon bitch." A voice came from somewhere in the room.

Dove frowned as she recognized the gravelly voice. "Arnbjorn, by all the nines, how are you still kicking? Didn't I slice your face in half?!" she shouted into the room, angered by, and a little afraid of, the large werewolf.

A growl seemed to fill the room for a moment before being cut off. "Didn't cut deep enough," was the still directionless response. Dove cursed in response.

"Someone you know?" Biever asked lightly.

"Husband of the leader of the Dark Brotherhood in Skyrim," Dove answered, "He's also a werewolf and former Companion. I guess we now know how they knew about this place."

"I've dreamt of this moment," Arnbjorn said, promoting a prayer from Dove of 'please don't start monologuing.' "Revenge for my wife's death."

"Great, as much as I love hearing your voice whining around an empty room, what's the point of this set up?" Dove interrupted, "Why did you disturb so many old heros?"

"Fodder," came the blunt response, "Despite what we want, we're too few to kill you by ourselves. So we asked some of your other enemies for a hand." At his words, a veritable volley of purple balls flew into the center of the room, striking the many, many corpses gathered there.

At the same time a low rumble filled the air behind Dove and put a seed of worry down her mail to her gut.

"We've sealed the way out," Arnbjorn's voice called out to the now worrying party of would-be rescuers, "The only way out is through us." Blue light filled the room as ten of the bodies rose from the pile before them. Groans of almost painful irritation soon followed as the disturbed companions came 'awake'.

"Please survive them, I want to kill you myself."

* * *

"...I wasn't expecting this."

Louise found herself sitting in a room that was nearly half the size of the entire academy of magic grounds back home. It looked a bit like a cave, but at times the walls seemed to fade into a black nothingness that she couldn't see the end of.

"What were you expecting child?" a deep voice asked. The speaker was a humanoid figure in a long and tattered black robe, bandages covered the face, bone hands and other parts of a skeleton could be seen peeking through the holes in its clothes.

"Maybe death and defilement," The Night Mother suggested sipping at her tea.

The four of them, Night Mother, Sithis, Louise, and Guest, sat at a light cherry table. On the table was a few plates of small finger foods and several kinds drinks. The Night Mother and Guest were having peppermint tea with apple crosots while Louise was left sitting there feeling awkward. Sithis had nothing.

"Your minions did kidnap and shove her into your coffin rather quickly," Guest stated after blowing on his own tea, "She probably doesn't have a clue about what's going on and was expecting the worst."

The Guest was a golden blond who stood out amongst the others at the table. He wore a dark robe like everyone else there but it was a dark blue instead of a dark red like the Night Mother or Sithis, or tan novice robe of destruction Louise wore.

He looked a bit like a mage from back home, but he didn't have a wand or staff. Smiling at Louise, he said, "I'm glad that Sithis managed to bring you here, I've been trying to reach someone from our world for a while now."

"From our world?" Louise repeated, "You're from Tristain? Who are you? I haven't heard about anyone from a noble family that looks like you."

"Well, I've been away for a while," the young man said rubbing the back of his head. "I'm actually dead, kind of like a ghost who represents all Void magic. Halfway to being a god. Once you crossed over to here I asked Sithis if he could pick you up and bring you here. I've got a lot to talk to you about."

Louise looked completely lost. "You're a ghost of a mage who somehow represents void magic," she hopefully summarized that correctly.

"Correct."

"How?" Louise wondered, "I mean, how did you come to 'represent void magic'? Wouldn't that be the Founder Brimir's job?"

"Correct."

* * *

 **Sorry for the longer wait, it probbaly wasn't a good idea after talking about Hiatus.**

 **But one of our cats got sick and I had to help care for her for about a week before she died.**

 **so, ya.**

 **Please review with what chapters you want more editing on or see a problem with, they will be worked on.**

 **Ps: any advice on Brimir would be great, I'm only half confident that I got his persona down.**


	77. We gonna let it burn burn bu-BOOM!

**Wow,**

 **I really didn't mean to be gone so long.**

 **My excuse!**

 **I spent an extra week lore checking**

 **then another week out of state helping set up, run, and take down a competitive gaming event.**

 **Sorry that this didn't get out sooner.**

* * *

 **CabooseHelpsU: She didn't find her attractive, but her clothes were interesting~ (make what you will with that).**

 **DragonSword35d: I hope it's enlightening, I spent so long rereading things until I was happy with it. I intend to thoroughly crush both of their faiths by the end of this. As for Derf... I think he got left in the school, Louise was carrying him but she left him in the room for a walk through the nearby town.**

 **VulpineSnow: Please point the typos out, there reaches a point as a writer that you can no longer see anything wrong.**

 **Dur'id the Druid: Thank you for the input, I found him to be more along the lines of "I have to do this" than "I want to do this" based on what I know from canon and he is described as 'not unlike Colbert' on the wiki. There's an idea, Colbert the reincarnation of Brimir.**

 **Sir Something: Thank you for pointing that out, corrected.**

 **dreaddragonknight: Thank you for your input.**

 **Guest: Nope, wanted something to crush Biever.**

 **Cyclinity: I'm glad that I caught you off guard. Thanks for the support, it was my Brother's cat that died but I'm a cat person and was the one to care for it for it's last few weeks so it grew on me even more.**

 **Telron: "What?" the entity gasps looking at it's screen, "I thought we got rid of the intruder." Turning to the second screen, "UNLEASH THE WILDEREN!"**

 **Mathew5641: Thank you for your input. (What'ch cook'en? I might lend you it if you can find a way to use it only on the duck part of Turducken.)**

 **headreviewer mk2: with the way her hormones are swinging she might bring the roof down.**

 **Fate: You have a really scary name. Thank you for your input.**

 **Anon: Thank you for your input.**

 **RedBurningDragon: Thank you for your input. He doesn't show up much because he's hardly there in canon as well, making him hard to write.**

 **Carre: Thanks. Yup. I personally didn't like Shocked Merlin, not because of the story but because of how I wrote it. This story came because I sat down and said 'Okay, what do I hate about Shocked Merlin." It might get revamped or recrossed over like what you're suggesting (and it is a cool idea) just not now, and probably not for a long time, Sorry.**

 **XSDStitch: More vaporized. Sithis has a reason.**

 **pensuka: YES IT IS! THE STAY PUFF MARSHMALLOW MAN!**

 **Aline1: True.**

 **the bob: I don't think Sithis takes 'sides'.**

 **link01742: I can see that, they have a lot of similarities, but the question is; are those similarities real or only because the church says they are? IE what was Brimir like in 'real' life and what is church dogma?**

 **Akshka: Too be fair she didn't mean to.**

 **NacNak: Yup.**

 **Million Arthur The Yuri King: Thank you for your input. But I want to know if all that was Church Dogma or fact? I hope you don't mind the direction I go with him.**

 **TheENDstyler: That's alright.**

 **Guest: Thank you for your input.**

 **Guest: here it is.**

 **Mysterioustgexpert: I guess, I found some of this helpful at least. Thank you for your input**

 **MasterXMaster: The tea party was out of left field when I thought it up, I laughed too. Biever might.**

 **King Quinn The Last Heir: Thank you.**

 **Archer1eye: I'll have you know the answer is me, the author section of my head agrees with the editor and protagonist sections on this. I think there already is a time laps when Sito gets back to Tristain after fighting the army solo so I might slip something in there.**

 **still stuck: I wasn't commenting on a glitch, but on the fact that I would piss myself if something picked me up off the ground and pulled me that high. Sucks that that happened to you though.**

 **Alex Ultra: Thank you, I never really got Daedra vs Daedric down, I knew Aedric meant "our ancestors" and Daedra/Daedric meant "not our ancestors" but I didn't know what the difference was. I will try to change. Thank you for your input.**

 **Hell Fire: email ffs? Sorry but I don't follow, my minds been a bit scattered.**

 **Me Myself and I: The wheel weaves as the wheel wills. That was the only thought I had reading your review the first time. Second time; Dove is just bellow Brimir, he earned his title of 'halfway there' while Dove is reborn 'dragonborn', I think he ranks just above her but their so close it doesn't make that much of a difference. They might, Dove as the new Anui-el while Brimir is the next Sithis, that makes a lot of sense.**

 **TheHatter1: I'm sorry for messing up Skyrim terminology, Orismer, Daedra, I just messed up.**

* * *

 **Beta'd by evevee**

 **Lore checked by Mephiles666**

* * *

"Why me?"

Dove had honestly pondered this simple question every time something odd seemed to crop up in her life every few weeks. It had started happening even more after she came of age.

Moving to Skyrim's bard college only to bunk with the most bitchy girl in school; why me.

Getting picked up and mistaken for a Stormcloak by the Empire; why me.

Having her execution interrupted by the dragon of the apocalypse; why me.

All that just at the 'beginning' of her young elven life, and it got worse from there.

Her life truly sucked a troll dick sometimes.

Dodging left, she let loose a barrage of lightning at a Draugr that had gotten too close. Around her lay the bodies of five attackers from the first wave. Two were covered in ice spikes while one looked extra crispy, the rest were simply cut to pieces and turning into dust. Tabitha, Kirche, and Biever were dealing with three of the remaining.

Their efforts did little good though as more bodies started to rise. Dove realized that they were soon going to be forced into a corner. Deciding to at least choose which corner they'd be stuck in, Dove started moving.

"This way," Dove called, reaching over and tugging Tabitha along behind her. Biever and Kirche disengaged from their opponents and followed. "Up," Dove ordered, picking Tabitha up and lifting her towards a large pedestal.

Some of the sarcophagi were set on raised sections that were completely overhead. Dove was leading them towards one that was opposite the way they had come.

"Draugr's arms are weak, so they can't strike at a target that's over their heads with too much strength," Dove explained as Tabitha pulled herself the rest of the way up. This 'corner' would give them the best protection and stop the undead from swarming them.

Kirche and Biever followed, each needing a quick boost from Dove, before the living corpses caught up to them. Spinning around, Dove blocked one strike with her ethereal sword and switched her left hand to a fire spell.

"Damn it, MORE!" a voice roared out and was followed by more blue balls of magicka flying into the pile and more rising undead.

"FUS!" Dove roared, pushing the zombies back and jumping towards the pillar herself. Biever and Kirche both seized her by the arm and helped pull her up.

"Now what?" Biever asked. The pillar was small, all four of them and the sarcophagus fit snugly on top, and the replenished number of Draugr were coming. Talen looked up at his human, an expression that screamed 'pitty me' clear on his face as they left him. Thankfully no Draugr saw him as a target and swarmed the pedestal instead.

"We can use spells to kill them at a distan- Ow!" Dove exclaimed as she felt pain in her leg. Maybe it was because this undead man had been in the companions, but the Draugr here hadn't lost as much of its upper strength as she had thought.

"You alright?" Kirche asked, looking at Dove.

"Fine," Dove bit out, "That's going to bruise." Another Draugr wound up to strike and got a face full of vicious lightning for its troubles.

Before Kirche could say anything else she had to dodge into Biever's side. "We're too close," Biever said, "Dove, can you do that thing again? Whatever you did to stagger them."

"I can easily enough," Dove answered, "but we need to kill them all instead of inconvenience them, and we need to do it soon because we don't want to arrive too late for Louise. Kirche, do you have any large area fire spells?"

Kirche pondered for a moment. "None that can burn an entire body that quickly," she said knowing that that wasn't good enough. Dove looked at the pile of corpses sitting in the pool of water. Her fire shout might set most on fire, but not enough of them.

"Would this work?" Surprisingly it was Tabitha who interrupted her thinking with an answer. She was holding a small scroll in her hands.

Dove saw the design on the outside and didn't even need to open it to know what it was. "Is that one of J'zargo's scrolls?" she asked for confirmation.

Tabitha nodded.

"Did I ever tell you about the first time I used one of his creations?"

Tabitha shook her head.

"It went boom. Killing everything around me and that nearly included my companions at the time," Dove stressed the whole killing thing, shaking her head before stabbing down with her sword and braining the Draugr that had bruised her. "He said it wasn't even supposed to explode, but it did."

Tabitha held the scroll a little higher for Dove to read. "Super Boom Fire Shield V2!" Dove read off the title. 'Did he actually try to get it to explode this time or did he just rename his old scroll? Did he 'improve' it? How? Why did he include an exclamation mark on this thing?'

Dove couldn't help but shiver as she considered using the scroll. 'No,' she decided after a moment, there are too many questions and not enough answers at this time. She refused to trust in something that had already hurt those around her.

Kirche looked over at the scroll, and had to do a small jump over the next strike. She was starting to get tired, the armor was heavy and jumping around the pillar was getting hard on her calves. "Lets try it," she suggested, "I can't think about a spell that can cause enough damage with them standing in water."

"It might kill us all," Dove said, pointing out the obvious flaw. "It has 'Boom', with a capital letter no less, in the name for Akatosh's sake. It might bring the walls- OW!" Dove stabbed down on another head before continuing," Down on us as well as kill the Draugr."

"Fighting them all from up here will take too long," Biever added his two cents, "By the time we kill all these things they could have done anything to Louise. If we want to get to her quickly then we need to use this scroll. How large an explosion does it cause?"

Outnumbered, Dove groaned in irritation. "About ten feet in diameter," she answered, still not liking the situation.

"Then whoever uses the scroll just as to get as far away as they can from the walls," Biever reasoned, bringing in his combat training from before he was a falmen, "The walls are nearly thirty feet from each other at their narrowest point. Just get whomever uses the scroll to the center of the room, coincidently where the pile of bodies is, and we shouldn't have to worry about the walls."

"Fine," Dove acknowledged unhappily before handing the scroll back to Tabitha, "Tabitha, you use the scroll and I'll use a ward spell in case it's needed." Surprisingly, the safest person in this entire plan was the scroll user.

Nodding, Tabitha unfurled the parchment while Dove herded the others around the pillar until they were as far away as possible.

Letting her ethereal sword vanish, Dove instead primed a greater ward spell in each hand. "Ready to cast?" she called to the shorter woman.

Tabitha nodded, scroll raised. Markings glowed with power on the page as the magicka within struggled to escape the page.

"Cast now," Dove ordered as she immediately released the ward spells.

At first nothing happened, then as Tabitha started to try and read the scroll the parchment crumbled away to dust. "Is that sup-" then her hands started glowing a deep orange and smoke started rising from them.

"Release the spell!" Dove shouted, getting a confused look from Tabitha since she apparently just had, before clarifying, "Thrust your hands at the ground before the magicka in them cooks you!"

Tabitha instantly followed the orders and threw her hand down like she was trying to press the air down on the Draugr.

The world instantly went bright red to the blue haired girl's eyes. The power flowed out of her hands and seemed to whip around her as if pulled upwards by a gale, the orange fire they produced wrapping around her like a protective cocoon.

Moving forwards, Tabitha slipped down from the pedestal they had plotted on and raced to the center of the room. Upon reaching the center of the pile of corpses she turned and raised her staff in preparation to defend herself. Around her the Draugr followed their simplistic orders and attacked the 'easiest' target.

Then a tendrel of the magic fire touched the animating Draugr. Tabitha gasped as she stood in the epicenter of an explosion, large enough to throw the Draugr across the room.

Two of the group died on impact while the rest were burned so badly that the animation spell wouldn't hold any longer.

The rest of Tabitha's party didn't fare as well. Dove shuddered as her spell took the brunt of the explosion, it only tossed her back a few inches into her companions. As the second Draugr exploded, Dove and the rest were sent sprawling off the platform and onto the ground, Biever on bottom.

"GA-," The brave church falmen gasped as the two armored women nearly crushed something on impact. The undignified pile they had fallen into was an uncomfortable mess of limbs and curses that would take a bit to undo.

"Sorry," Kirche apologized as she tried to wriggle out from between the other two.

"Owwwff," Biever groaned in pain as Kirche put a hand wrong.

"Sorry," Kirche repeated.

"We're alive," Dove informed a worried Tabitha who was looking down on them from the pile. "Please don't come closer, I don't want to find out what that spell does when it touches us." Tabitha nodded and took a step back.

While the rescuers reoriented themselves, another volley of blue magicka balls flew to the pile of the dead to raise another attack force. "Tabby, please handle that," Dove asked as she pulled her foot out from under Kirche's pauldron.

They were nearly untangled, Dove just starting to stand, when another explosion from Tabitha and the pile of recently undead sent her sprawling all over the pile again. "Ugh, come on," Biever groaned again as he was again the bottom.

"Sorry," Dove said. It was easier to get out this time and she quickly pulled her helmet from between Kirche's legs before getting up and jerking the other woman along with her.

"DAMN IT!" Arnbjorn's voice came from around them, "I thought you would kill at least two of them with those Draugr. There had better be at least one dead soon or I'll turn the lot of you into zombies!" Spurred on by the harsh words, the unseen necromancers threw another volley from above.

"Damn these guys need some imagination, that was so easy with our spells," Dove critiqued loudly before shaking her head and ordering, "Destroy the skulls as quick as you can. I'll check the next room."

Marching forwards, Dove hurriedly skirted around Tabitha and the pile of undead, heading towards the far side of the room from where they had entered. Behind her Biever started to stab as many Draugr as he could.

Sloshing through the scummy water, Dove climbed the stairs and turned left. The next room was as she remembered it; a small storage room that had filled with webs and egg sacks. However, since last time Dove was here, those eggs had apparently hatched.

The sound of small feet scuttling around reached Dove's ears before she had taken two steps into the room. "Frostbite Spiders!" she cursed, the poison from these arachnids played havoc on your eyes and left you feeling like you just got stabbed by an icicle.

Biever's eyes widened as he saw what was coming from the room beyond. He vividly remembered the dead spiders from under the academy and had been shocked by them there, here the spiders had two major differences; they were alive, and they were bigger.

The four mule sized arachnids turned to regard the intruder for a moment, their large pincers clicking and drooling as if considering what they would taste like. Dove resummoned her sword in time to prepare for the charge.

All four spiders charged forwards, trying to be the first to the fresh meat. Three of them filled the corridor between the rooms, blocking the way forwards by creating a living wall of carapaced flesh and legs while the fourth got stuck behind the pile up, resorting to spitting venom instead.

"Kirche over here, I need Fire!" Dove ordered, lifting her open hand as well.

Kirche hurried over and lifted her own wand and let loose a blast of fire hot enough to pass for a forge. Dove's fire was less intense and aimed at the second spider, but it held them back for a moment.

The fire didn't seem to do much more than tick the arachnids off, their hard shells keeping them alive. "Can you-" Dove started to call to the others but stopped when she saw the situation behind her.

"Sorry, busy," Biever stated as he blocked a strike from a Draugr, "We should have focused on killing them all before you hurried on." He had stabbed as many skulls as he could before the next volley, but there still had been seven Draugr raised before he could destroy the bodies.

Dove snarled, angry with herself for the mistake. One shouldn't hurry in a tomb since there was no way back except the way one came, leave anything alive behind you and it will stab you in the back.

"Tabitha, give them a hug," Dove ordered as she turned back to the spiders.

Ducking under a swing, Tabitha closed the distance to the undead quickly until the explosion cloak touched the Draugr. With the threat behind being dealt with, Dove spun back to the spiders, fighting on two fronts was so disorienting.

The spiders were now moving through the fire to get at the intruders, Dove's lack of constant attention had opened up a gap. As she turned her attention back, Dove was greeted by a face full of spat venom.

"Draaf!" she cussed as the venom found the seams in her faceplate and messed with her vision. 'Screw it!' she was tired of something slowing her down.

As she had said earlier, many of Dove's shouts were destructive in nature and not suited for an old place like this, despite their care the fact that the roof had not collapsed on them from the scroll was a minor miracle. However, there was a shout she could use here.

Making sure she was facing the Spiders direction, Dove opened her mouth and let her frustration out. "RII-VAAZ-ZOL!"

The first spider chittered in agony as it flew backwards over it's hatch mates, purple smoke flowing back the way it had come. With that dealt with, she attacked the same spider as Kirche.

An explosion from behind suddenly sent both fire users sprawling forwards, Dove coming face to face with the spider. Taken by surprise, the spider opened its mouth reflexively to bite. In a burst of adrenaline, Dove thrust out with her sword, stabbing as far down its throat as she could reach.

"Sorry," Tabitha commented from behind as she moved to the next Draugr.

"No problem," Dove deadpanned over her shoulder as the spider choked on blood and venom.

Behind the two remaining spiders, the one Dove had sent flying got up up on its six remaining feet. Ignoring the two that had been crushed in its short flight, the spider charged forwards and bit down on one of the other spider's legs.

A shriek of pain came from the spider as it was betrayed. As the two spiders started trying to kill each other, Dove twisted her sword in her target's throat, breaking an inch wide hole in the carapace.

With that spider dead, Dove ganged up with Kirche on the now slow cooked spider. Behind them, Biever and Tabitha moved on to the last two Draugr. The fire cloak around the blue haired girl sputtered and died as the magicka for it ran out.

Undeterred, Tabitha lifted her staff and switched from fire attacks to her classic ice.

Biever blocked a swing from the undead woman before him. So far, he was surprised by how hard it was to fight this undead person. Their attacks were heavy and gave him so many openings that his much thinner blade could dance around her defences and land hits without any worry.

The issue wasn't hitting his target, it was that his attacks were doing so little damage that the undead didn't feel it. Talen was doing his part by absolutely savaging the Draugr's leg, ripping sections of dried flesh off the bone.

None of it even phased the undead. Unless it was hit somewhere vital or was utterly destroyed, this fight could last hours.

Tabitha was having the same issue as her pin point accurate ice attacks that had killed the troll yesterday with ease didn't slow the undead in the least. The ten icicles hanging and slowly melting off the creatures torso that didn't do anything but look like exaggerated piercings.

Going for a different approach, Tabitha thrust out with her staff and tried to encase the Draugr.

"ZUN!" the normally quiet girl shouted for good measure and was rewarded with the former companion of Ysgramor losing its grip on the ancient sword.

"What was that?" Biever called, startled by the unfamiliar magic attack. He was, sorry to say, getting used to unusual things coming from Dove by now, however, Tabitha doing the same unusual thing was a small shock.

"Shouting," Tabitha answered before summoning the largest icicle she could in the short area and launching it at the now imobile Draugr's face.

Dove growled and stabbed down on the spider's head. Kirche's continuous flame attack had finally cooked the spider's body through the carapace and now she provided the coup de grace. Letting out a sigh, Kirche allowed the fire stream to die. It had taxed her to hold the spell that long.

"What's going on there?" the redhead asked looking at the two spiders going at it hammer and tongs.

"I ripped the soul out of the glowing one and made it attack its former ally. It won't attack us now unless we attack it first, so don't harm it," Dove answered before charging in to help.

With its attention on its traitorous matchmate, the last living Frostbite spider didn't get a chance to defend itself as Dove leapt up onto its back and place a carefully angled stab through a joint in its carapace and into the back of its head. As a result, the spider slumped to the ground without a sound.

Dove let out a sigh as she stepped off the spider's back. Behind her, the others were finishing off the last Draugr, Tabitha slowing it down with ice at the joints while Biever struck at the neck.

"That took, less time then I, thought it would," Dove comment between breaths, coming down from the adrenaline rush. The entire battle, from the first risen Draugr to the last fallen spider, had taken only about ten minutes of straight destruction.

"Alright, show of hands, who needs a moment of rest?" Surprisingly only Kirche and her needed a moment to catch their breath. Swinging a sword and occasional ice blasts apparently didn't tire one out as much as a continuous fire blast.

* * *

"Well, this was fun," Brimir said, clapping his hands together. The tea had been delicious.

"Indeed," The Night Mother agreed in her old voice, dabbing at her youthful lips with a napkin.

Louise was still stuck in a personal limbo as the god of her church had not only revealed himself to her but also claimed to not be a god. It was official, her belief in the church of Brimir was dead, it had shriveled up and wasted away. What would her mother think?

Glancing at her, Brimir had to laugh just a bit. "So, any questions in your cute little head or are you too speechless to think?" he teased, looking expectant.

Louise took a moment to recenter herself. The void in her soul where her believe in the church she had been raised in used to be left her feeling unbalanced. "The church says that you're a god and were killed by the elves, the devils," she blurted the first thing that came to her mind.

Brimir blinked. "A god?" he asked incredulously before a dark expression crossed his face. "I don't deserve a title like that," he shook his head, "Not after I killed so many."

"But you're the founder of the church," Louise stated quickly, her face flushing with confusion, "You led the church from the holy land after the elves kicked you out, then they killed you. Is that a lie?"

Brimir blinked again. "Wow, things got a little out of context back home I see," he mused. "To clear the air," he stated, "I didn't set up some church; when I died, I just died. Might have left some of my journals and old magic junk behind, but that's it."

Hopefully that wouldn't get misconstrued and bite anyone in the ass.

"I'm not against the elves," he continued, "it was a different time. There was a war going on between my people and another group of humans, so I prayed for help."After glancing over at Sithis, who gave a lazy wave, Brimir continued. "With … assistance, we ended up leaving. We moved into the land of elves."

Louise looked confused, "I thought the elves kicked you out of the holy land."

"There really isn't a holy land per se," Brimir said, frowning, "Just the town where I grew up. It's nothing special and I'd only want to return there for personal reasons. The land of the elves is a much better place all told. They let us in and we uneasily worked together for a time."

"You worked with the elves?" Louise asked for confirmation of the herital act.

Brimir nodded, a very happy, dopey, smile growing on his face. "I worked with the elves," he stated as his smile grew larger, "I worked very~ closely with a certain elf. She helped ease things between our two people for a while."

Louise frowned. For a moment Brimir sounded a lot like Kirche.

"She sounds nice," Louise allowed, digging for more information.

"She was so~ Nice~," there was a small amount of drool leaking from the religious figure's mouth. The 'old' man's mind was on something other than what they had just been talking about.

"Please stop thinking about your wife's tits," Sithis interrupted, "Your fascination with them was interesting to hear about at first but got old a long time ago."

Sitting around in in the void was an important job he assigned himself, but by that ass-hole Anui-El; ever since Brimir had first shown up and started talking about his wife, his life had become an annoying hell.

Louise instantly colored at the blunt words before she fully understood what they meant. 'What?! WIFE?!' she thought, looking between the mummified skeleton and the blond.

"Her breasts weren't the only 'interesting' thing about her," Brimir defended, flushing as he slammed both hands on the table and stood, pointing dramatically. "You should have seen her. She was beyond worth talking about every once in a while by looks alone, and her mind-"

"I heard you the first time, you didn't need to bring that up here and now," Sithis interrupted with a complaint. "Since the first day you got here the only thing you talked about was how she looked when she stabbed you in the chest."

Louise looked back and forth between the two, the conversation had taken a strange left turn somewhere and she didn't understand how.

The Night Mother took pity on Louise. "This is an old fight between them," she said, drawing the other girl's attention to her while the two 'men' bickered like children. "Sithis and Brimir physically met for the first time after his death. As you can probably tell, the first thing the young pervert did was annoy my husband about how sexy his wife looked when he died."

Louise looked at the undead elf in gratitude and interest. "Did Brimir really have an elf as a wife?" she asked. She was getting better at taking these life changing events in stride and getting to the more pointed questions.

If just visiting Skyrim for a few days did this to her then it was no wonder Dove was so blase about things like royalty and titles.

"Yes, her name was Sasha," Night Mother said, "She was his wife and familiar, Gandalfr."

"Really?" Louise asked intrigued, "He married his familiar?"

"Of course he did, she was perfect according to him," Night Mother stated, rolling her eyes. If this woman had been perfect then she wouldn't have killed her husband but agreed that killing everyone was the answer. Just like she did with Sithis.

"She was," Brimir rejoined the others, "I'm sorry for going off like that, someone just doesn't understand perfection. We were getting some background laid out."

Louise sighed before laying out the important facts she had picked up so far. "Okay, so you're not a god, contrary to what I've been taught all my whole life." Brimir winced at the 'whole life' part, "but what I would like to know now is why the church says that the elves were the enemy of yours. You just said that you married one and that she apparently killed you, how can that be?"

"Well," Brimir frowned, "there just wasn't enough to go around. We, the humans, had been pushed into the elven lands by the other humans who didn't have the gift of magic. The land couldn't provide enough for us all to live yet the elves insisted on not taking more than what was already being brought in. They said it disturbed the spirits."

Brimir looked older as he spoke, no longer like a playful young man defending his choice in women, more tired. "There were… incidents that strained the alliance we had made with the elves. Poachers, defacing sacred places, worst of all to the immortal elves was the murders that took place."

"Finally, it was too much for the elves and we fought. The elves outnumbered the humans and had more powerful magic. They drove us back to the lands from where we had come, confident we would be destroyed by those we had fled from."

"We were so sure that we would all die when we returned," Brimir laughed bitterly, reliving the memories of that defeat, "To our surprise, those who had fought against us welcomed us with open arms. A cult had grown around my power, the people we had fought had seen us use water, fire, wind and stones against them but nothing could compare to 'my' void."

"Now, seen as their god, I led the group back to the elves and demanded that we live together, that together we can provide for all," Brimir looked sadder as he continued "But the elves had seen my void. They said it was unnatural, that it killed the spirits around me and wouldn't even consider it."

"This led to fighting and death on both sides," Brimir looked like he was about to cry as he watched the death and destruction all over again behind his eyes. "But our side was loosing, our warriors were dying, our civilians starving. So, I found a way to remove the elves as a threat for good."

Sithis cackled.

* * *

 **Well,**

 **I think I'm going to stop there.**

 **For those that I put 'thank you for your input', know that that is there because I heard what your impressions of Brimir are but don't have the space to give you each the full response you deserve.**

 **Truly, thank all of you for you help.**


End file.
